Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met today with the People's Republic of China's (PRC) Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Secretary Austin and General Wei discussed U.S.-PRC defense relations and regional security issues.
Secretary Austin discussed the need to responsibly manage competition and maintain open lines of communication. The Secretary underscored the importance of the People's Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue on improving crisis communications and reducing strategic risk.
Secretary Austin discussed global and regional security issues, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The Secretary reiterated to General Wei that the United States remains committed to our longstanding one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. The Secretary reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Strait, opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo, and called on the PRC to refrain from further destabilizing actions toward Taiwan.
