The Chinese military has ignored outreach from the admiral in charge of the Indo-Pacific Command, rebuffing yet another effort by the US to resume defense ties that have been suspended for months
(Bloomberg) — The Chinese military has ignored outreach from the admiral in charge of the Indo-Pacific Command, rebuffing yet another effort by the US to resume defense ties that have been suspended for months
Admiral John Aquilino said Tuesday that all of his attempts to contact his Chinese counterparts have been disregarded or declined, including a recent invitation to attend the annual chiefs of defense conference in Fiji next month.
“We have invited, but we have not heard,” Aquilino said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado.
The refusal by Chinese authorities to speak with US military leaders is a worrisome gap in efforts from the Biden administration to improve relations between the world’s two largest economies. Despite recent visits to China by cabinet secretaries, Beijing declined an offer for US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meet his counterpart Li Shangfu in Singapore later this year because of sanctions on Li.
The US Defense Department at the time called that decision a “concerning unwillingness” to engage in military discussions as tensions remain high in the South China Sea.
Read More: China Spurns US Defense Chiefs Talks Showing Limits to Ties
Li was targeted by Washington in 2018 for violating US sanctions by allegedly aiding in the transfer of Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 missile system equipment from Russian arms seller Rosoboronexport to China.
China says it first wants the US to lift sanctions imposed on Li in 2018 for aiding in the transfer of Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 missile system equipment from Russian arms seller Rosoboronexport to China.
Austin did meet last year with then-Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at a security forum, an exchange that a Chinese military spokesman described as a start toward resuming normal dialogue.
China suspended military ties after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022. Subsequent efforts to resume those ties were derailed after the US identified and later shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon transiting US territory in February.
Speaking on Tuesday, Aquilino said the August Fiji conference would be held in person, and the regional chiefs of defense also meet virtually several times a year. In the past two years, China has only appeared once by teleconference, he said.
“That’s been the extent of my contact since I’ve been in this position,” Aquilino said, discussing his requests to speak with his direct counterparts. “My asks have gone either unanswered or refused.”
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