The US said Monday that China has declined an offer for a meeting between Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Li Shangfu, who is under US sanctions.
The US proposed for the two military leaders to meet on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue that will be held in Singapore this week, but Beijing has called for the US to lift the sanctions on Li in order for him to meet with Austin.
Li was sanctioned by the US in 2018 when he was the head of China’s Equipment Development Department and oversaw the purchase of Russian military equipment. The sanctions were imposed using the 2017 Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
Li was appointed as defense minister in March. According to Bloomberg, China’s position is that Li wouldn’t be on equal footing with Austin if they met while the sanctions were still in place.
The US claims that it’s looking to foster communication with China but has so far refused to lift the sanctions on Li. President Biden was asked about the issue during the recent G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, and said the sanctions were “under negotiation,” but there’s no sign the US intends to lift them.
The Pentagon slammed China for declining the meeting, accusing Beijing of having a “concerning unwillingness” to engage in military discussions. Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the sanctions do “not prevent Secretary Austin from meeting with him in the course of conducting official United States Government business.”
Absurdity. Sure, China will allow US to requst a meeting while its official is under US sanctions. China cannot take any other position. Unless China sanctions Austen, then they would be equsl. Sanctions used gratuitously are impediment to diplomacy, trade and transport. Global freedom of trade is seriously undermined.
Looks like the concerning unwillingness is in DC. They project, as they do so often.
This is a pattern. Biden won’t talk, and acts in high handed fashion, then blames those who won’t cave.
With the USA it’s always bluff and baloney. Lavrov once said that we were not agreement capable. How right he was.
If the Trump imposed sanction is the issue, why not lift it? Once again, Biden demonstrating the absurd bipartisanship towards war and that he is no better (and in fact in many ways worse) than Trump in foreign policy.
Personnel of totalitarian military empires are arrogant. They adopt what they believe are upper class attitudes granted by wealth.
“Personnel of totalitarian military empires are arrogant. They adopt what they believe are upper class attitudes granted by wealth”. Sounds like a lot of crap to me. When should he meet with his counterpart while under sanctions the his gov imposed. Screw the arrogant Americans, they sow discord and then complain when they aren’t treated like gods!
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I see the US as a totalitarian military empire complete with spectacular for profit commercial TV elections. I know what I see is just one person’s view.
It seems to me that China has had enough of Biden’s duplicity. Xi is starting to throw out a few sanctions of his own (Micron, for example).
I am nearly certain that if Biden had been candid about his foreign policy views in 2020, he would have lost to Trump. We the People didn’t want this.
I can see why Biden didn’t talk up being anti-China in the 2020 campaign. When you’re running against someone for president, your line can’t be “I’ll be just like him, only more so” on any issue. And Biden on China is like Trump, only more so.
I don’t believe Trump would care if China reacts this way though.
You sanction someone then get all worked up because they don’t want to take a courtesy call from you is not exactly Trump-like.
True enough.
As if foreign policy matters to American voters.
The heads meeting is just a show anyway as is the refusal to meet.
Could it get more arrogant than this…?!
The Pentagon has a major problem with China , they have no spies in China and with China having it`s own version of the internet they can`t get any information on the Chinese Military ect , effectively China is a closed shop for the CIA and they don`t like it one bit , and the less the Chinese talk to the Americans the more PARANOID the Americans become ,
What makes you think they have no spies in China?