Make It Cool! Says He Doesn't See Beijing Invading Taiwan In The Near Future, US Defense Secretary: We Hope China Cooperates

JAKARTA - US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he did not expect China to invade Taiwan soon, calling Beijing's activities the new normal and hoping for cooperation.

"I don't see an imminent invasion", Austin said in an interview broadcast on CNN Sunday.

"What we're seeing is China moving to establish what we call a new normal. We're seeing several Taiwan Strait centerline crossings with their planes. That number is increasing over time. We've seen more activity with surface vessels and their waters off the coast. in and around Taiwan", said Minister Austin.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in early August angered China, which then launched military exercises near the island. It continues, albeit on a much-reduced scale.

The United States and its allies have responded to the drills by continuing to sail through the region. A US Navy warship and a Canadian frigate make a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait on September 20.

Secretary Austin said the United States will continue to work with its allies and partners "to ensure that we maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Austin said the United States was working to reopen military communication channels with China, something of great importance to both countries.

China in August suspended cooperation with the United States in several areas, including dialogue between senior-level military commanders, in retaliation for Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Minister Austin said he had communicated by phone and in person with his Chinese counterpart, Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, who agreed that open communication was important.

"We will do everything we can to continue to signal that we want those channels to open and I hope China will start leaning more forward and working with us", he said.

The narrow Taiwan Strait has often been a source of military tension since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the communists, who founded the People's Republic of China.