China's defense minister declined a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense leaders in Laos, a move the Pentagon chief said on Wednesday was unfortunate.
China's defense minister declined a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a meeting of defense leaders in Laos, a move the Pentagon chief said on Wednesday was unfortunate.
Multilateral gatherings of national security officials in Asia have been used in the past for meetings between U.S. and Chinese defense leaders, but China declined a meeting request by Austin during this week's Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Plus defense ministers meeting.
"It's unfortunate. It affects the region because the region really wants to see us, you know, two significant players in the region, two significant powers, talk to each other," Austin told reporters.
"I don't think that it has any sort of implications for the future. I just think that it's something that they chose to do at this point in time and only they can explain why they chose to not take advantage of a good opportunity," Austin added.
Austin met China's defense minister, Dong Jun, on the sidelines of a Singapore conference earlier this year, reiterating their differences on Taiwan and other issues but emphasizing the need to keep military-to-military communications open.
Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Saturday to work with the incoming U.S. administration of Donald Trump as he held his final talks with outgoing President Joe Biden on conflicts from cyber crime to trade, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia.
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Kazakhstan and China have agreed to significantly enhance operations at their shared border, aiming to boost transit capacity, improve customs efficiency, and support growing trade volumes.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian begins a two-day visit to Oman on Tuesday, during which 14 major cooperation deals are set to be signed, Iran’s envoy in Muscat said, calling the visit a potential turning point in already close political and economic ties.
Debt-for-nature deals worth billions aimed at protecting vital ecosystems worldwide face uncertainty as key U.S. backing from the International Development Finance Corporation may wane under President Trump’s administration, risking delays or cancellations of major conservation projects.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for saying there are no longer limits on how far Ukraine can strike using Western weapons.
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Anton Kobyakov, adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claimed at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum that the USSR’s dissolution was legally invalid and that the Soviet Union still exists under constitutional law, framing the Ukraine war as an “internal process.”
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Debt-for-nature deals worth billions aimed at protecting vital ecosystems worldwide face uncertainty as key U.S. backing from the International Development Finance Corporation may wane under President Trump’s administration, risking delays or cancellations of major conservation projects.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for saying there are no longer limits on how far Ukraine can strike using Western weapons.
Donald Trump is reportedly considering lifting all Biden-era limits on Ukraine’s military operations, including strikes inside Russia, as Western officials signal growing support for Kyiv following intensified Russian attacks.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian begins a two-day visit to Oman on Tuesday, during which 14 major cooperation deals are set to be signed, Iran’s envoy in Muscat said, calling the visit a potential turning point in already close political and economic ties.
Debt-for-nature deals worth billions aimed at protecting vital ecosystems worldwide face uncertainty as key U.S. backing from the International Development Finance Corporation may wane under President Trump’s administration, risking delays or cancellations of major conservation projects.
EU ministers have greenlit a massive €150 billion defense investment fund—dubbed the Security Action for Europe (SAFE)—as the bloc ramps up its military readiness in response to Russia’s aggression and growing uncertainty over U.S. security guarantees.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for saying there are no longer limits on how far Ukraine can strike using Western weapons.
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