FALCON POWERS – U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that war with China is not imminent, but it is inevitable. He emphasized the importance of reopening dialogue channels with his Chinese counterpart to avoid “miscalculations and misunderstandings.”
Austin’s comments came at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense forum in Singapore, a day after his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, which lasted over an hour.
This was the first direct meeting between top defense officials since communications between the U.S. and Chinese militaries broke down in 2022 after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, which angered Beijing.
During a meeting with senior security officials on Saturday, Austin indicated that the Biden administration is seeking to de-escalate tensions with China, despite increased friction following the countries’ military activities around Taiwan and in the disputed South China Sea. Austin stressed “the importance of direct dialogue between senior military leaders and the need for open lines of communication to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation. Dialogue is not a reward but a necessity.”
