Tensions between the US and China have risen over the past few years.
Teh Eng Koon | AFP | Getty Images
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rebuked China on Saturday for its refusal to hold military talks, which have left the superpower deadlocked over Taiwan and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s highest security summit, Austin said Beijing’s refusal to hold talks at the meeting undermined efforts to maintain peace in a region where the two rivals increase their military strength.
“I am very concerned that the PRC (People’s Republic of China) does not want to engage more seriously with better mechanisms for crisis management between our two militaries,” Austin said at the meeting in Singapore. .
“The more that we talk, the more that we can avoid the misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crisis or conflict.”
A senior Chinese military official responded, saying the United States was responsible for the breakdown of dialogue by increasing sanctions on Chinese officials and destabilizing the Asia-Pacific with its military presence.
“The China-US military relationship is facing difficulties and the responsibility lies squarely with the US,” Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng told reporters at the summit.
“China attaches great importance to the development of China-US military relations, and our contacts and communications have never been suspended.”
American and Canadian warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait as Austin spoke on Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported, a show of military might that has angered China in the past and is likely to push the two sides apart.
There were faint hopes that the annual Shangri-La Dialogue would be an opportunity to mend relations between the US and China, which are at their lowest point in decades.
Washington and Beijing are at odds over everything from the future of democratically-ruled Taiwan, territorial claims in the South China Sea and President Joe Biden’s restrictions on semiconductor chip exports.
China’s Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu this week declined an invitation to meet with Austin at the security summit. Li, a US-sanctioned general, delivers his own speech on Sunday.
On Friday, the two shook hands on the sidelines of the conference but did not hold detailed talks, the Pentagon said.
“A friendly handshake at dinner is no substitute for a meaningful engagement,” says Austin.
Talks between the two countries have stalled since US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a visit to China in February after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was tracked flying over the United States.
One of the thorniest security issues between the two superpowers is the future of Taiwan, which Beijing wants to bring under its rule.
Concerns are growing that China could attack Taiwan with the US drawn into any conflict.
Austin pointed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an example of “how dangerous our world is if big countries can just invade their peaceful neighbors with impunity.”
He said the US is “deeply committed” to maintaining the status quo in Taiwan and opposes unilateral changes from both sides.
“Conflict is neither imminent nor inevitable. Deterrence is strong now and it’s our job to keep it that way,” Austin said.
General Jing said Austin’s comments were misleading, accusing Washington of stoking tensions by building direct diplomatic ties with Taiwan and increasing arms sales to the territory.
“The US is using Taiwan to contain China and Taiwan’s separatist forces are asking for US support to push for independence,” Jing told reporters.
