US and China Clash Over Defense Talks at ASEAN Summit
China rejects meeting with US defense chief, citing Taiwan policy, as Southeast Asian nations address regional security challenges.
- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's request for a meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Laos was declined, with China citing US arms sales to Taiwan as the reason.
- Austin described the refusal as a setback for regional security, emphasizing the importance of dialogue between the two major powers to reassure Southeast Asian nations.
- The US recently approved a $2 billion arms package for Taiwan, which includes advanced missile systems, further straining US-China relations.
- ASEAN members and dialogue partners, including the US, China, Japan, and Australia, discussed maritime disputes in the South China Sea, where China's assertive territorial claims have led to repeated confrontations with neighboring nations.
- Broader security topics, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, were also key points of discussion during the summit.
South China Morning Post 
Associated Press 
CNA 
Denver Gazette 
Washington Examiner 
Newsweek 
