China Says its Ready to Meet With US to Discuss Defence

China said it is open to meet with the U.S defence secretary for first time since Nancy Pelosi's Visit to Taiwan.

China said it is open to meet with the U.S defence secretary at an upcoming security forum in Cambodia on Wednesday.

“China holds a proactive and open attitude for exchange with the United States,” China defence spokesman Tan Kefei said on Sunday.

He added that both sides are in touch regarding an “exchange” on the sidelines of the forum.

A meeting would represent the first high-level military exchange between the countries since China halted regular dialogue after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

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China Defence Minister Wei Fenghe and U.S. Secretary of Defence Austin Lloyd previously confirmed separately that they would attend the forum with Southeast Asian countries, the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus.

China President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden held their first face-to-face meeting since early 2021 at the G20 summit in Indonesia last week.

Ties between the world’s two largest economies have deteriorated in recent years amid issues such as trade, human rights and Taiwan.

Reuters, with additional editing from Alfie Habershon

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Alfie Habershon

Alfie is a Reporter at Asia Financial. He previously lived in Mumbai reporting on India's economy and healthcare for data journalism initiative IndiaSpend, as well as having worked for London based Tortoise Media.