China declines US request for defence chiefs’ meeting

Beijing, May 30

China has declined a request from the US for a meeting between their defence chiefs at a security forum in Singapore this weekend, media reported on Monday, a new sign of strain between the powers.

“Overnight, the PRC informed the US that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary (Lloyd) Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defence Li Shangfu in Singapore,” the Pentagon said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal, referring to China by the initials of its official name, the People’s Republic of China.

Li has been under US sanctions since 2018 over the purchase of combat aircraft and equipment from Russia’s main arms exporter, Rosoboronexport. The Pentagon said it believed in open communication “to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict.” — Reuters