Washington expects to develop more advanced mechanisms to prevent crisis situations regarding the military and China. This was stated on Saturday by the US Minister of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Singapore of the Shangry-la Dialog security conference.
“The USA believes that open communication lines with the PRC are vital. Especially between our leadership in the military sector and the defense area,” Austin said. According to him, “dialogue is a necessity, not a reward.” “The more we talk, the easier it is for us to avoid misunderstanding and incorrect calculations that can lead to crises or conflicts,” the minister emphasized. “I am deeply preoccupied with the reluctance of the PRC to more seriously interact on the question of more advanced mechanisms to prevent crises between the armed forces of the two countries,” he added. “But I hope that this will change soon.”
“Great powers should be examples of transparency and responsible approach. The United States is deeply committed to this,” Austin said.
According to Austin, the approach of the American side is that “rivalry should not develop into conflict,” and the Asia-Pacific region “should not be divided into hostile blocks.”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Chinese colleague Lee Shanf were able to meet in Singapore, where the Shangri-La Dialog conference is held, but there were no objective exchange of views.
Austin noted that Lee Lee had a chance to refuse to conduct a personal meeting with him in the sidelines of the Shangri-la Dialog conference, which takes place on June 2-4 in Singapore.
As the official representative of the Ministry of Defense of China Tan Kafay stated on Wednesday, the American authorities must correct their mistakes and create the necessary conditions for the contacts of the heads of defense departments of the two countries.
The United States imposed sanctions against Li Shanf in 2018 for the acquisition by Beijing of Russian Su-35 fighters and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.
At that time, Lee Shanf was the head of the arms department of the United Headquarters of the Central Military Council of the PRC.