Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, in Cambodia this morning. Not surprisingly, the two readouts are significantly different.
According to the US readout, Austin and Wei discussed U.S.-PRC defense relations and regional and global security issues. “Secretary Austin emphasized the need to responsibly manage competition and maintain open lines of communication.”
Austin “also discussed the importance of substantive dialogue on reducing strategic risk, improving crisis communications, and enhancing operational safety,” the US readout reports further. “He raised concerns about the increasingly dangerous behavior demonstrated by PLA aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region that increases the risk of an accident. The Secretary also affirmed that the United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows.” The readout reports that Austin claimed that the US is still committed to the One China Policy and its associated documents but that he lectured Wei on “the importance of peace and stability across the [Taiwan] Strait. “He underscored his opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo and called on the PRC to refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan.”
