Defense chiefs Shangri-La from the US and China spar over Taiwan during an Asia security conference.

Despite this, both sides stressed the importance of maintaining military-to-military relations as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with his Chinese counterpart in person for the first time since November 2022.

TFD – The Shangri-La Dialogue 2024 in Singapore brings together military and political leaders to discuss critical security issues. Highlighting the event, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun met for the first time since 2022, emphasizing the need for open military communication amidst rising tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Singapore — In their first in-person meeting in two years, the defense chiefs of the United States and China sparred on Friday in Taiwan, but they both underlined the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between their armies.

On the fringes of Asia’s preeminent defense forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and China’s Defense Minister, Dong Jun, convened in Singapore. Later in the day, the president of the Philippines was scheduled to speak at the gathering, and it was anticipated that he would discuss delicate South China Sea claims.

The South China Sea tensions, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and the U.S.-China relationship are all expected to cast a shadow over the discussion.

During the meeting with Dong, Austin expressed concern about Chinese military activity near Taiwan, including after the island’s presidential election and the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te this month, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement.

“The secretary expressed concern about recent provocative PLA activity around the Taiwan Strait, and he reiterated that the PRC 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.

He was alluding to China’s official name, the People’s Republic of China, as well as the People’s Liberation Army.

Dong warned Austin that the U.S. should not interfere in China’s affairs with Taiwan, defense ministry spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters.

According to the spokeswoman, Dong stated that the U.S. strategy toward Taiwan betrays American pledges and misleads “separatist forces” in Taiwan. China refers to Lai as a “separatist.”

Both sides, however, emphasized the importance of keeping military-to-military ties open.

The two sides also discussed the South China Sea and the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

Later on Friday the spotlight shifts to Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who is 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 the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, despite a 2016 ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that found Beijing’s sweeping claims have no legal basis.

Taiwan’s Defense Minister Wellington Koo told reporters in Taipei on Friday that increased tensions around the democratically governed island claimed by China as its own territory would diminish if Beijing’s military drills ceased.

“Peace and stability can be maintained if China stops its provocation and intimidation,” the speaker declared.

According to a paper released on Friday by the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), there has been a noticeable increase in these exercises in the region in recent years.

Although both the U.S. and China have significantly increased the volume of military exercises across Asia, Beijing’s drills still lag behind in scale and complexity, the study found.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, in its 21st iteration, is held every year in Singapore by IISS, gathering military and political leaders to discuss security issues. It ends on Sunday.