In Washington, the US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, is anticipated to convene with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, at a significant defence assembly in Singapore in the forthcoming week, as declared by the Pentagon on Friday. This will mark the inaugural encounter between the two defence secretaries following an exchange of words over the phone in April. This development unfolds amidst a gradual thaw in relations between the US and China, which had hitherto been largely icy since former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s contentious visit to Taiwan in 2022, leading to China temporarily suspending most military-to-military communications.
The proclamation surfaced shortly before the Pentagon revealed that Austin would be undergoing a medical procedure at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday evening, necessitating a temporary transfer of authority to his deputy. Austin has been grappling with bladder complications stemming from his treatment for prostate cancer since December. Subsequently, the Pentagon confirmed the success of the procedure later on Friday, with Austin resuming his duties and returning home.
At present, there are no foreseeable alterations to his official agenda, including his slated participation in Memorial Day observances, affirmed Pentagon press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder. Austin and Dong, China’s minister of national defence, are slated to convene during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore next week, an annual gathering of defence ministers and government officials from over 50 nations.
However, this rendezvous unfolds against the backdrop of China’s assertive military exercises near Taiwan, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets and heighten readiness of missile, naval, and land units on Thursday. China instigated these exercises subsequent to a speech by Taiwan’s new President, Lai Ching-te, urging Beijing to desist from intimidating the island and confront the reality of its existence. Beijing rebuffed his assertions as advocating for separatism and initiated the military exercises.
