離開
進入《TAIPEI TIMES》US, China defense heads clash over Taiwan
A handout photo released by the US Department of Defense shows US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, second left, and Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun, right, prior to their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore yesterday. Photo: EPA-EFE
/ Reuters, SINGAPORE
The US and Chinese defense chiefs yesterday locked horns on Taiwan in their first face-to-face meeting in two years, but both sides emphasized the need to keep military-to-military communications open.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun （董軍） met in the city-state on the sidelines of Asia’s premier defense summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr was to give a speech at the meeting later in the day that was expected to touch on sensitive South China Sea claims.
The US-China relationship is expected to loom over the dialogue, as are the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the South China Sea tensions.
During the meeting with Dong, Austin expressed concern about Chinese military activity near Taiwan, including after the nation’s presidential election and the inauguration of President William Lai （賴清德） last week, US Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
“The secretary expressed concern about recent provocative PLA [People’s Liberation Army] activity around the Taiwan Strait, and he reiterated that the PRC [People’s Republic of China] should not use Taiwan’s political transition — part of a normal, routine democratic process — as a pretext for coercive measures,” Ryder said after the 75-minute meeting.
Dong warned Austin that the US should not interfere in China’s affairs with Taiwan, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesman Colonel Wu Qian （吳謙） told reporters.
The US approach to Taiwan violates commitments made by the US and sends the wrong signal to “separatist forces” in Taiwan, Wu quoted Dong as saying.
However, both sides emphasized the importance of keeping military-to-military ties open, and a senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting marked an “important step” in opening lines of communication.
The official said Austin was “firm, but professional” and also brought up China’s nuclear, space and cyber developments.
The two sides also discussed the South China Sea and the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
Later yesterday, Marcos was expected to discuss the legal and geopolitical position of the Philippines on the South China Sea and note the importance of the waterway to global trade.
China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, including parts claimed by Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam, despite a 2016 ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that found Beijing’s sweeping claims have no legal basis.
Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo （顧立雄） yesterday told reporters in Taipei that increased tensions around the region would diminish if Beijing’s military drills ceased.
“If China stops its provocation and intimidation, then peace and stability can be maintained,” he said.
The region has seen a sharp uptick in such exercises in recent years, a report by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies released yesterday said.
Although both the US and China have significantly increased the volume of military exercises across Asia, Beijing’s drills still lag in scale and complexity, the study found.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, in its 21st iteration, is held every year in Singapore by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, gathering military and political leaders to discuss security issues.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
