China and Singapore, key US partner, agree on high-level defense hotline

SINGAPORE (AP) — China and Singapore on Friday laid the groundwork for a hotline between the two countries that would establish a high-level communications link between Beijing and a close U.S. partner in Asia at a time when Chinese tensions with Washington are raging. high and the dialogue is over. stagnant

Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army general who was appointed minister in March, signed a memorandum of understanding with his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen to work on establishing a secure telephone link.” for high-level communications between our defense leaders. ”, according to a statement issued by Singapore.

“Such high-level open lines of communication are important to strengthen mutual understanding and trust,” the statement said, without giving a timetable for when it would be established.

Li is on his first visit to Singapore as defense minister and is extensively discussing global and regional security issues with a variety of officials. Singapore said the two countries’ defense establishments “regularly interact through bilateral and multilateral exercises” and that his visit underscores “long, warm and friendly” relations.

At the same time, Singapore is a close economic and military partner of the United States, and the agreement to establish the direct telephone link comes as communications between Washington and Beijing are tense.

While in Singapore, Li is expected to address a meeting of defense officials, diplomats and country leaders on Sunday, but has declined a request from Washington to meet US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines. , who will speak at the same Shangri-La La Dialogue security conference on Saturday.

Among many problems, China has chafed over US support for Taiwan, a self-governing democracy it claims as its own territory, the downing of what the US called a Chinese spy balloon and sanctions targeting Li directly.

Those sanctions are related to Washington’s sweeping package of measures against Russia, but predate its invasion of Ukraine and were imposed in 2018 over Li’s involvement in China’s purchase of fighter jets and anti-aircraft missiles from Moscow.

The sanctions, which generally prevent Li from doing business in the United States, do not prevent him from holding official talks, the United States said.

Earlier this week, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said Austin’s offer for talks in Singapore had been rejected because the United States “ignores China’s concerns and creates artificial obstacles.”

“The US side should take practical measures to show sincerity and correct mistakes, so as to create the necessary conditions and the right atmosphere for communication and exchange between the two sides,” he said, without directly mentioning sanctions or other issues.

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Increase reported from Bangkok

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