Pentagon Snubbed, China’s Defense Minister Meets With Australian Counterpart

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks to the media during a press conference after the release of the Defence Strategic Review at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on April 24, 2023. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles met his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore after Li refused to meet U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Marles confirmed the meeting on Twitter, calling the meeting another “important step” towards stablising the relationship between the two countries.