U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concern about China's "provocative" military activity near Taiwan during his talks with Chinese counterpart Dong Jun on Friday in Singapore, after Beijing conducted a two-day military drill around the self-ruled island last week, according to the Pentagon.
In the first in-person talks between the two countries' defense chiefs since November 2022, Austin also underscored the importance of respecting freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, where Beijing has been involved in territorial rows with the Philippines and other countries.
Their meeting was held on the sidelines of the three-day Asia Security Summit, better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore as Washington and Beijing try to facilitate communication and prevent their geopolitical rivalry from veering into conflict.
China conducted the military exercise encircling Taiwan following the May 20 inauguration of the island's President Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing condemns as a separatist, as a "strong punishment" for those seeking the territory's independence.
Austin told Dong that China "should not use Taiwan's political transition -- part of a normal, routine democratic process -- as a pretext for coercive measures," U.S. Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder said in a statement.
While reaffirming the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the defense secretary underscored that the United States "remains committed to its long-standing one-China policy," under which Washington recognizes Beijing as the sole legal government of China.
Dong warned Austin that the United States should not interfere in China's internal affairs, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and aims to bring it into its fold, by force if necessary. The two sides have been governed separately since they split as the result of a civil war in 1949.
Austin also discussed China's alleged role in supporting Russia's defense industrial base amid Moscow's war against Ukraine and expressed concerns about North Korea's "direct contributions to Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine," according to the statement.
Washington claims Beijing and Pyongyang have been assisting Moscow's war efforts but they deny the U.S. allegations.
In April, Austin and Dong, who became China's defense minister last December, held a virtual meeting and discussed the situations around the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea, as well as the Ukraine crisis and North Korea's weapons development programs.
Austin met with then Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in November 2022 in Cambodia.
High-level bilateral military communication channels had been closed since Beijing protested a visit to Taiwan made in August 2022 by then U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Related coverage:
U.S., Chinese defense chiefs to hold 1st in-person talks since 2022
Japan, 3 nations concerned with China's "dangerous" actions at sea
Japan, U.S., Australia sign defense technology cooperation pact
