Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin Regrets Not Meeting Chinese Defense Minister

JAKARTA - Chinese Defense Minister rejected a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of a meeting of ASEAN State Defense Ministers with partner countries (ADMM Plus) in Laos, a unfortunate move by the Pentagon Chief on Wednesday.

"It's a shame. It affects the region because it really wants to see us, you know, two important players in the region, two important powers, talk to each other," Defense Secretary Austin told reporters.

A multilateral meeting of national security officials in Asia in the past was used for a meeting between defense leaders Washington and Beijing. However, China rejected a request for a meeting delivered by Defense Secretary Austin during this week's ASEAN-Plus defense minister meeting.

"I don't think it has any implications for the future. I just think it's something they choose to do at this point and only they can explain why they choose not to take a good chance," added Defense Secretary Austin.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Austin met with Chinese defense minister Dong Jun, on the sidelines of a conference in Singapore this May, reaffirming their differences about Taiwan and other issues but stressed the need to keep inter-military communications open.

Separately, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged on Saturday to cooperate with the new US Administration under Donald Trump, as he held his final talks with President Joe Biden to step down on conflicts ranging from cybercrime to trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia.