This is the first face-to-face meeting between the two defense ministers since 2022. At the Shangri-La Dialogue held at the same time last year, Washington proposed a meeting between Secretary Austin and his then Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu. However, Beijing rejected Washington's proposal.
Taiwan Focus
According to the Pentagon's announcement, Secretary Austin expressed concern about the "provocative" activities of the Chinese military. Recently, China conducted large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its remote islands. There are opinions that the exercises are aimed at preparing for a military attack on Taiwan.
US-China military delegation at yesterday's talks
Mr Austin added that Beijing "should not use Taiwan's political transition as an excuse for coercive measures".
In response, General Dong Jun warned the US not to interfere in China's affairs with Taiwan. After the meeting, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman said Washington's approach to Taiwan was sending a "wrong signal" to "separatist forces" in Taipei.
Specifically, Minister Dong was referring to Washington's congratulation to Lai Ching-te on his inauguration as Taiwan's leader on May 20, and sending a delegation to attend the ceremony.
The meeting between Secretary Austin and General Dong lasted about 75 minutes, longer than expected. However, despite the tense atmosphere, both sides also sought to stabilize relations.
The Pentagon chief stressed the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between the two countries' armed forces, and "welcomed" plans to convene a crisis communications working group later this year. Gen Dong also said bilateral relations should be cherished and neither side should "smear the other". Beijing described the talks as an example of "positive, pragmatic and constructive" efforts.
Also related to the talks, according to Nikkei Asia , Beijing reiterated China's position on the war in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire and arguing that the US should take responsibility. Meanwhile, Washington said Secretary Austin "discussed Russia's military offensive against Ukraine" and China's role in supporting Russia's defense industrial base.
Important Talk
Responding to Thanh Nien last night, May 31, Dr. Satoru Nagao (Hudson Institute, USA) analyzed that there are 3 reasons why the meeting is important for both sides.
First, in the short term, the talks take place when the US is spending a lot of resources on Ukraine and Israel. At the same time, the administration of US President Joe Biden also needs to spend time on the upcoming presidential election in this country. So now is an opportunity for China to maximize its activities in the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait with many escalating developments. Washington wants to control that escalation.
Second, in the medium term, these talks are aimed at addressing concerns about the situation in Taiwan. Beijing is boosting its military power and increasing military pressure on Taiwan. There are even many comments that Beijing is about to use military force to unify Taiwan.
Third, in the long term, the talks take place as the balance of missile power changes. Because China is upgrading its missile arsenal strongly, with missiles such as DF-17, DF-21, DF-26… posing a great threat to US forces in the region. In response, in April, the US announced the deployment of a new medium-range missile launch system in the Philippines.
Amidst these tensions, according to Dr. Nagao, the two sides held talks to have an opportunity to discuss and avoid miscalculations. "However, such a negotiation is not a strong message to China," Dr. Nagao analyzed.
Risk Reduction
There is talk of an agreement to establish a military hotline between the US Indo-Pacific Command and the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command, which would follow through on commitments made by Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden at their summit late last year. However, I think it will have minimal impact on the risk in the relationship. China continues to view hotlines and crisis communications as “bargain cards.” Meanwhile, tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea are high.
Dr. Jonathan Berkshire Miller (Expert at the Institute of International Studies, Japan)
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/the-co-hoi-dam-quoc-phong-my-trung-185240531224440107.htm
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