China's Defense Minister refuses to meet with his American counterpart - Defense News
Photo: Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense (Getty Images)
China's Defense Minister, Dong Jun, canceled a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, which was scheduled for this week, DefenseNew informs.
According to media reports, a meeting between the US and Chinese defense ministers was scheduled for this week. However, this is the first time in a year that Beijing has suspended high-level military talks.
A source told the news agency that the Pentagon proposed the meeting, but China refused, citing objections over the sale of US weapons to Taiwan.
The source also expressed skepticism about the sincerity of this reason and pointed to other factors behind China's decision to halt negotiations in recent years: sanctions, the spy balloon crisis, and the 2022 visit of former US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized America's deep concerns regarding China's support for Russia's defense industry during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Blinken stated that Beijing's discussions about peace in Ukraine "make no sense."
