US, Chinese security figures hold talks as Australia China talk for first time in 3 years
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US, Chinese security figures hold talks as Australia China talk for first time in 3 years The top Chinese and US security advisers have held lengthy talks, with both sides describing them as “candid” following days of acrimonious exchanges over Taiwan and other flashpoint issues. Readouts of the meeting in Luxembourg on Monday were toned down compared with last week, when China’s defence minister warned his country would not “hesitate to start a war” over Taiwan, while the US defense secretary blasted Beijing’s “provocative, destabilising” military activity. But US security advisor Jake Sullivan and top diplomat Yang Jiechi did not indicate any compromise on their core points of disagreement, especially Taiwan. China considers the self-ruled island a part of its territory, to be seized by force one day if necessary. “The Taiwan question concerns the political foundation of China-US relations which, unless handled properly, will have a subversive impact,” Yang was quoted as saying by China’s official Xinhua news agency. “The United States should not have any misjudgements or illusions (about Taiwan).” A senior White House official said Sullivan reiterated the US policy of recognising Chinese sovereignty but expressed “concerns about Beijing’s coercive and aggressive actions across the Taiwan Strait”. Tensions over Taiwan have escalated in recent months due to increasing Chinese military aircraft incursions into the island’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ). US President Joe Biden, during a visit to Japan last month, appeared to break decades of US policy when, in response to a question, he said Washington would defend Taiwan militarily if it was attacked by China. The White House has since insisted its policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether or not it would intervene had not changed. The Sullivan-Yang meeting, which followed up on a May 18 phone call, lasted about four and a half hours, the White House official told reporters. Xinhua said the talks were “candid, in-depth, and constructive” while the White House statement described them as “candid, substantive, and productive”. – Red lines – The US-China relationship has deteriorated in recent years, with the two powers locking horns on several issues, from international trade and security to human rights in China and — most recently — the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On Monday, Sullivan “underscored the importance of keeping open lines of communication to manage competition between our two countries”, according to the White House. Yang also agreed on maintaining dialogue, Xinhua said, but made clear that Beijing was not going to shift its red lines. “For some time… the US side has been insisting on further containing and suppressing China in an all-round way,” he said, according to Xinhua. But “China firmly opposes using competition to define bilateral ties.” The Xinhua readout said Yang “also stated China’s solemn position on issues concerning Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet, the South China Sea, as well as human rights and religion”. China’s treatment of Tibetans, Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the ongoing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong have faced growing international condemnation. But Beijing has bristled at any criticism, saying it will not tolerate interference in its internal affairs. It has also faced a growing chorus of warnings from the United States and Western allies over its naval ambitions in the South China Sea, which it claims almost entirely. There are competing claims from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. US-China relations entered tense new territory under the previous president Donald Trump, who triggered a trade war in response to what he described as China’s abusive trade practices. Biden has said he is considering lifting some tariffs in an attempt to defuse roaring inflation at home. Australia, China defence ministers meet for first time in 3 years Richard Marles, whose centre-left government came to power in May, held talks for over an hour with China’s Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore. Marles described the meeting as “an important first step” and “very significant”. “It was an opportunity to have a very frank and full exchange in which I raised a number of issues of concern to Australia,” said Marles, who is also Australia’s deputy prime minister. The Chinese government did not offer any immediate comment following the meeting. Relations between Beijing and Canberra have grown frosty in recent years after the latter called for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and banned telecom giant Huawei from building Australia’s 5G network. China — Australia’s biggest trading partner — responded by imposing tariffs and disrupting more than a dozen key industries, including wine, barley and coal. Marles said the recent interception of an Australian patrol plane in international airspace by a Chinese warplane as well as Australia’s “abiding interest in the Pacific” were among topics discussed. This included Australia’s focus on ensuring “that the countries of the Pacific are not put in a position of increased militarisation”, he said. – ‘Change of tone’ – The patrol plane incident, described by Canberra as “very dangerous”, happened on May 26, when a Chinese aircraft intercepted the Australian jet and released a cloud of small aluminium strips, known as chaff. Australia is battling for influence with China among Pacific island states, with the new government playing catch-up after years of relations being soured by the previous Australian leadership’s foot-dragging on climate change. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has recently been visiting the region and, while he failed to secure support for a regional security pact, he still inked a series of deals. Australia’s new foreign minister, Penny Wong, has paid visits to the Pacific islands since taking office. Marles underscored the importance of “open lines of dialogue” with China. “Australia and China’s relationship is complex. And it’s precisely because of this complexity that it is really important that we are engaging in dialogue right now.” Asked about next steps, he said Australia wanted to move in a “very sober and very deliberate manner. We don’t underestimate the difficulties that we’ve had in our bilateral relationship”. He stressed that “while there is a change of tone, there is absolutely no change in the substance of Australia’s national interests”. Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
But the region’s unique status is the object of intense debate since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rattled neighbouring Finland into applying for NATO membership in May. Under international treaties signed after the Crimean War, no troops or fortifications can be placed on the strategic Baltic Sea islands. “It is the Achilles’ heel of Finland’s defen … read more
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