US and Chinese defense ministers hold talks at Shangri-La Dialogue
The talks come as the United States and China try to ensure that escalating tensions between the two countries do not degenerate into military misunderstandings or miscommunication.
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| US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
On the sidelines of the 2022 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, officials said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe on June 10 in the first face-to-face talks since President Joe Biden took office.
The talks come as the United States and China try to ensure that escalating tensions between the two countries do not degenerate into military misunderstandings or miscommunication.
Ahead of the meeting, a senior US official said: "We are making every effort to ensure that this is a professional, substantive meeting. We will discuss some very serious issues, but the Washington side does not wish to make them public."
Chinese media also said Beijing will use this meeting to discuss cooperation with the US.