The most recent development in the turbulent relationship between the defense officials of the two nations was China’s rejection of a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a conference in southeast Asia this week.
As part of an ongoing effort to keep military lines of communication open between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, Austin attempted to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, during the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Laos. However, a senior defense official who was traveling with Austin in Laos informed reporters that China rejected the offer, citing a previous arms trade from Taiwan as justification.
The United States authorized a $2 billion arms deal with Taiwan three weeks ago, which included the first-ever delivery of cutting-edge surface-to-air missiles to the independent island.
