China, US defence chiefs hold first substantive talks in nearly 18 months
Al Jazeera
Lloyd Austin and Dong Jun talk South China Sea, Taiwan, North Korea and Ukraine in wide-ranging discussion.
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun have held their first substantive talks in nearly 18 months as the two countries work to restore military ties.
The two spoke via videoconference on Tuesday, the Pentagon said in a statement.
It said Austin “underscored the importance of respect for high seas freedom of navigation guaranteed under international law, especially in the South China Sea”.
An escalating diplomatic dispute and recent incidents between China and the Philippines, a US treaty ally, at a disputed shoal have turned the strategically significant South China Sea into a potential flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.
China claims the sea almost in its entirety while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam claim the areas around their coasts.
