The Chinese and US defense chiefs met for the first time for a face-to-face meeting this Friday (10) in Singapore, in which they held opposing positions on Taiwan – an island that is in practice autonomous, although without international recognition, and which Beijing claims to be a rebellious province.
Lloyd Austin, US Defense Secretary, and Wei Fenghe, Chinese Defense Minister, met for nearly an hour, twice as long as originally planned, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit, which brings together officials and experts. to discuss the security of the region.
The two defense chiefs had already spoken on the phone in April. Their first face-to-face meeting comes as US President Joe Biden tries to devote more time to security issues in Asia after months of efforts focused on Ukraine’s war. Last month, the Democrat even claimed he would use force to defend the East Asian island.
While both China and the US have publicly said they want to improve the two countries’ relationship, Beijing and Washington remain polarized on various security issues, from Taiwan’s sovereignty to military activity in the South China Sea and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
After Friday’s meeting, Chinese and US officials highlighted the cordiality of the talks and said that the meeting gave signs that there would be open doors for further communication between the two military personnel. Wei went so far as to say the talks “went smoothly”, but later a spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry upped the ante and said the minister reiterated Beijing’s firm stance that Taiwan is part of China.
“The People’s Liberation Army [Forças Armadas da China] would have no choice but to fight at all costs and crush any attempt at Taiwan’s independence while safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the spokesman said. Wei to Austin, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense.
Austin, meanwhile, urged China to “refrain from further destabilizing actions” in Taiwan, according to a statement released by the US after the talks.
According to a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, most of the meeting focused on Taiwan. Austin reportedly criticized China’s aggressive stances and said Washington’s understanding of Taiwan would remain unchanged, he said.
The United States is Taiwan’s most important international supporter and arms supplier, which is a source of constant friction between Washington and Beijing. China has increased military activity near the island in the past two years, responding to what it calls “collusion” between Taipei and Washington. In May, a Chinese fighter jet intercepted an Australian military surveillance aircraft in the South China Sea region. In addition, Canada’s military has accused Beijing warplanes of harassing its patrol aircraft while monitoring sanctions evasions against North Korea.
The Austin-Wei meeting also touched on other issues, including the Ukraine war. At the meeting, the American “strongly discouraged” China from providing Russia with material support for the war, and was told by the Chinese defense chief that no military assistance had been given by Beijing.
China has not condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and does not call the conflict an invasion, but has called for a negotiated solution to the conflict. Beijing and Moscow have grown closer in recent years, and in February the two sides signed a broad strategic partnership aimed at countering US influence. According to China, there are no “prohibited topics of cooperation”.
