© Reuters. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a joint press conference with Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada (not pictured) after their meeting at the Japanese Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Japan, June 1, 2023. After Japan, Defense Minister
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Written by Chen Lin and Shingui Kwok
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin blasted China on Saturday for refusing to hold military talks, leaving the great powers 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 had undermined efforts to keep peace in a region where the two rivals are increasing their military might.
“I am deeply concerned that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has not been willing to engage more seriously in better mechanisms for crisis management between the militaries of the two countries,” Austin said during the meeting in Singapore.
“The more we talk, the more we can avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments that could lead to crisis or conflict.”
A high-ranking Chinese military official responded by saying that the United States was responsible for the breakdown in dialogue by tightening sanctions on Chinese officials and destabilizing the Asia-Pacific region with its military presence.
“China-US military relations are facing difficulties and the responsibility lies entirely with the US side,” Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng told reporters at the summit.
China attaches importance to the development of military relations between China and the United States, and our interactions and communication have never stopped.”
US and Canadian warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait as Austin spoke Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported, in a show of military force that has angered China in the past and is likely to drive the two sides apart.
There had been little hope that the annual Shangri-La Dialogue would be an opportunity to mend the relationship between the United States and China, which is at its lowest point in decades.
Washington and Beijing are at loggerheads over everything from the future of democratically-ruled Taiwan to territorial claims in the South China Sea and President Joe Biden’s restrictions on exports of semiconductor chips.
IMPASSE TAIWAN
This week, Chinese Minister of National Defense Li Changfu declined an invitation to meet with Austin at the security summit. Lee, a general sanctioned by the United States, will deliver his speech on Sunday.
The Pentagon said the two shook hands on Friday on the sidelines of the conference but did not hold detailed talks.
“A friendly handshake at dinner is no substitute for substantial engagement,” Austin said.
Dialogue between the two countries has stalled since US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a visit to China in February after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was tracked across the United States.
One of the thorniest security issues between the two superpowers concerns the future of Taiwan, which Beijing wants to place under its rule.
There are growing fears that China could invade Taiwan as the United States gets dragged into any conflict.
Austin pointed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an example of “how dangerous our world would be if great nations could invade their peaceful neighbors with impunity”.
He said the United States is “firmly committed” to maintaining the status quo in Taiwan and opposes unilateral changes by either side.
“Conflict is neither imminent nor inevitable,” Austin said. “Deterrence is strong today, and it is our duty to keep it that way.”
Gen. Jing said Austin’s remarks were misleading, and accused Washington of stoking tensions by establishing direct diplomatic relations with Taiwan and increasing arms sales to the territory.
“The United States is using Taiwan to contain China, and Taiwanese separatist forces are seeking the support of the United States to push for independence,” Jing told reporters.