Meeting of US and Chinese Defense Ministers; Austin Criticizes China's 'Provocative Activities'

Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, and Dong Jun, the Chinese Defense Minister, met for the first time in two years on Friday, June 1. During this meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia Defense Summit in Singapore, Austin expressed concern over recent activities of the Chinese military around the Taiwan Strait. General Patrick Ryder, spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, stated: "The US Secretary of Defense expressed concern about the recent provocative activities of the People's Liberation Army around the Taiwan Strait, stating that China should not use the process of power transition in Taiwan, which is part of a normal and usual democratic process, as an excuse for coercive actions." Last week, China conducted a two-day military exercise in the Taiwan Strait, simulating an attack on Taiwan using real missiles, bombers, and naval forces. Taiwan described this exercise as an "open provocation" that undermines peace and stability in the region. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported that China used 62 military aircraft and 27 naval vessels in this exercise. According to Taiwan, 46 of the Chinese aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which had previously been defined as an unofficial boundary by both sides. According to Reuters, during this exercise, bombers positioned themselves operationally and conducted several practice attacks in coordination with naval ships in the waters east of Taiwan to showcase China's ability to "seize power" and control key areas of Taiwan. The Chinese exercise in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan-controlled islands near China's coast began on Thursday, just three days after the inauguration of Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's new president. Beijing stated that this exercise was held to "punish" the speech made during the inauguration ceremony of the Taiwanese president. Lai Ching-te, during his inauguration on May 21, called on China to recognize Taiwan's sovereignty and cease threats. He, who has repeatedly proposed negotiations with China, asserts that only the people of Taiwan can decide their future. Taiwan and the United States do not have formal diplomatic relations, as Washington officially recognizes the "One China" policy, but under US laws, it is committed to assisting Taiwan in its self-defense. The United States is Taiwan's most important international supporter. Taiwan described China's "punishment" exercise as a threat to regional peace and stability.