China’s Snub of US Defense Bilateral Is Regional Setback, Says Austin

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in Kyiv on Oct. 21, 2024. Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Nov. 20 that his Chinese counterpart had not met with him during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering, calling it “a setback for the whole region.”

Austin said Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun had chosen not to meet with the United States.