Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Li Shangfu is set to be in Singapore from May 31 to June 4, to include attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue, which runs from June 2-4. However, he won’t be meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. According to Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, Li will deliver a speech on “China’s New Security Initiative'’ at the Shangri-La Dialogue and meet with heads of delegations of relevant countries during the event.
CNN, citing a Pentagon statement, reports that China had “rejected” a US invitation for a meeting extended in early May. “The PRC’s concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish the Department of Defense’s commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at multiple levels as part of responsibly managing the relationship,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said self-righteously in the statement.
