US and Chinese defense chiefs meet after tensions in Taiwan | National

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet his Chinese counterpart, the Pentagon announced on Friday, after Beijing staged war games around Taiwan in a sign for the new leader of the US-backed democracy.

The Pentagon said Austin would meet with Chinese Admiral Dong Jun during the May 31-June 2 Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual gathering of defense officials around the world.

China this week surrounded Taiwan with warships and fighter jets in a test of its ability to conquer the island, which it claims. The exercises followed the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te, who has vowed to protect Taiwan’s self-governing democracy.

Austin’s meeting with Dong had been widely expected since they spoke by phone in April, marking the first substantive talks between the two powers’ defense chiefs in nearly 18 months.

President Joe Biden’s administration and China have stepped up communications to reduce friction, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Beijing and Shanghai last month.

But defense talks lagged until Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a resumption of military dialogue during a summit with Biden in California in November.

Austin will also travel to Cambodia next week for talks with defense ministers from the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, ending his trip in France, where he will join President Joe Biden in commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The trip was announced even though Austin turned over duties to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, for about two and a half hours late Friday due to his latest medical procedure.

Austin is a key figure in Western efforts to support Ukraine against a Russian offensive.

He “underwent a successful, elective and minimally invasive non-surgical follow-up procedure” for a previously reported bladder problem at Walter Reed Military Hospital in Washington, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

During the proceedings, Hicks served as acting defense secretary, and Austin “resumed his functions and duties” as defense secretary later Friday evening and returned home, Ryder said.

The transparency comes after a furor when Austin disappeared from public view due to cancer treatment in December and again in January when he suffered complications.

A retired general, Austin, 70, who shunned the spotlight, later said he was a “pretty private guy” and didn’t want to burden others with his problems.

But Biden’s Republican rivals went on the attack after it emerged that Austin had not informed the chain of command.

Austin broadly informed the government and the public when he returned to the hospital in February for a bladder problem related to Friday’s procedure.

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