China ‘open’ to defence ministers’ talks with US at Asean security forum
- Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin will both be in Cambodia for an Asean security meeting
- In-person meeting between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in Bali has prompted efforts to prevent further escalation
Chinese Defence Minster Wei Fenghe and his US counterpart Lloyd Austin will both be in Cambodia for the five-day Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), where China and the US are “dialogue partners”.
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The annual security talks, which started on Sunday and are hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, usually feature its eight dialogue partners, which also include Russia, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
“A meeting between Wei and Austin is part of the two countries’ engagements to keep the line of communication open, with the objective of avoiding possible misjudgments on defence and security issues,” said Koh King Kee, president of the Centre for New Inclusive Asia, a Malaysian think tank.
More direct exchanges could be expected, Koh added.
But the in-person meeting between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden ahead of the Group of 20 summit in Bali last week has prompted efforts on both sides to prevent further escalation. Bilateral talks on trade, the economy and climate change followed soon after that meeting, which Biden described as “candid and clear”.