WASHINGTON – In the latest blow to US-Chinese military relations, Beijing has snubbed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s request to meet with his Chinese counterpart during a Pacific security summit in Singapore this coming weekend, according to the Pentagon.
The Defense Department invited Li Shangfu in “early May” to speak with Austin on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, but Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday Beijing had rejected the invitation meant to strengthen communications between the rivals.
“The Department believes strongly in the importance of maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication between Washington and Beijing to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict,” Ryder said in a statement.
Tensions have simmered between Washington and Beijing over China’s aggression, rapid military buildup and recent covert surveillance of the US by launching spy balloons into American airspace.
Both governments consider each other their top adversaries, and Beijing halted military-to-military communications with Washington after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, becoming the highest-ranking US official to do so in decades.
“[China’s] concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish DoD’s commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the People’s Liberation Army at multiple levels as part of responsibly managing the relationship,” Ryder said.
A senior US defense official noted that China has declined or failed to respond to more than a dozen Pentagon requests for “key leader engagements, multiple requests for standing dialogues and nearly ten working-level engagements” since 2021.
“This is far from the first time that [China] has rejected invitations to communicate from the secretary, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or other department officials,” the official said. “Frankly, it’s just the latest in a litany of excuses.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning gave vague reasoning for Beijing’s denial of the Pentagon request during a regular press briefing on Tuesday.
“The US is clear about the reason why China-US military dialogue faces difficulties,” Mao said. “The US should earnestly respect China’s sovereignty, security and interest concerns, immediately correct wrong practice, show sincerity and create necessary atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication between Chinese and US militaries.”
The rejection also comes while Li, who assumed his role of defense minister in March, remains under sanctions levied by the Trump administration in 2018 for helping purchase missiles from a US-sanctioned Russian company as part of China’s military modernization efforts.
President Biden raised eyebrows earlier this month during the G-7 summit in Japan when he answered a question about lifting sanctions on Li by saying his meeting with Austin was “under negotiation” and suggested that the easing of sanctions on Chinese military purchases was “under discussion.”
The State Department walked back the president’s remarks the following day.
“General Li’s sanctions designation under [the Counter America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act] does not prevent Secretary Austin from meeting with him in the course of conducting official United States Government business,” Ryder said.
When asked specifically whether the cancellation was in response to Li’s sanctioning, Mao demurred before reiterating China’s objections.
“If the United States says it wants to communicate while suppressing and containing China by any means and imposing sanctions on Chinese officials, institutions and enterprises, what is the sincerity and meaning of such communication?” she said. “… The US should show sincerity, take concrete actions and create necessary conditions for dialogue and communication between the two militaries.”
