Pentagon’s Austin Holds First Call with Chinese Counterpart Amid Rising Concerns Over Beijing-Moscow Partnership
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2022 3:14 pm
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his counterpart in China for the first time on April 20, after more than a year in his position. The call came amid increasing global concern over the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) partnership with Russia and its continued threats against Taiwan. Austin requested the meeting with his counterpart, Chinese National Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe, after months of failed attempts to speak with Gen. Xu Qiliang, who is the CCP’s highest-ranking general, the Associated Press (AP) reported. According to a statement from the Pentagon, Austin intended for the call to be a follow-up to the virtual meeting between President Joe Biden and CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping in March. Biden threatened unnamed “consequences” during that meeting should Xi support the invasion of Ukraine with material support for Russia. ...
Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com/pentagons ... 15937.html
Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com/pentagons ... 15937.html