US Defense Secretary Austin seeks Chinese counterpart for talks!

According to reports in the US media, an official from the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) told a group of journalists that Austin had conveyed his request for a meeting to the Beijing administration.

The official stated that they believe in the importance of open channels of communication between the US and Chinese militaries, including the highest level contacts, and said, "I can clearly say that the Secretary (Austin) has offered to meet with the Chinese Defense Minister. It is China's choice whether they will send a minister to the meeting."

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu was dismissed from office on October 24 after a long absence from public events for unknown reasons. Since Li's replacement has not yet been appointed, the post of defense minister is still vacant. While the Chinese side is expected to send a delegation from the defense ministry to the ASEAN meeting, it is not yet known who will head the delegation.

In China, the powers of the defense minister are mostly limited to the conduct of military diplomacy. In the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), there are two active generals senior to the defense minister.

General Cang Youshia and General Hı Veydong, who are members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission, which manages the armed forces, are China's top military officials. At the 10th Shiangshan Defense Forum held in China on October 29-31, these two generals hosted and conducted diplomatic contacts in the absence of the defense minister. US Defense Secretary Austin did not attend this year's forum despite being invited.

BREAK IN MILITARY DIALOG Military dialogue between the US and China was interrupted after former US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Tawyan, which is in sovereignty dispute with China, in August 2022. On the other hand, in the crisis caused by the entry of a Chinese high-altitude balloon into US airspace in February, it was claimed that Austin's requests to meet with his Chinese counterparts were rejected by Beijing.

US military officials have long complained that their attempts to reopen communication channels have been rejected by China. Austin's face-to-face meeting with former Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu at the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore in June could not be held due to the refusal of the Chinese side.