U.S. Defense Secretary Raises Alarm on China's Military Aggression

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin voiced concerns over China's provocative military activities near Taiwan during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Singapore. He cautioned against using Taiwan's political transition as a pretext for coercive measures. This marks their first face-to-face meeting since 2022.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin raised concerns about China's military activity during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Friday in Singapore, the Pentagon said, the first such face-to-face contact since 2022. "The secretary expressed concern about recent provocative PLA activity around the Taiwan Strait, and he reiterated that the PRC should not use Taiwan's political transition - part of a normal, routine democratic process - as a pretext for coercive measures," Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement after the meeting.

He was referring to the People's Liberation Army and the People's Republic of China.