US and Chinese Defense Ministers Meet After 5 Months... Urge Implementation of UN Sanctions on North Korea

Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense (left), and Wei Fenghe, Chinese Minister of National Defense [Photo by AP, AFP, Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and urged the strict implementation of international sanctions against North Korea.

According to major foreign media on the 22nd, Secretary Austin met with Minister Wei at the 9th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) held in Cambodia, expressed concern over North Korea's provocations, and demanded that China fully implement the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

This was a move to pressure China, holding it responsible for North Korea's continuous provocations such as intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches. The U.S. government and Congress have stated that China’s failure to properly enforce UNSC resolutions has undermined the effectiveness of sanctions against North Korea.

U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized China’s role during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 14th. President Biden said, "I made it clear to President Xi that China has the obligation to make it clear to North Korea that it must not engage in long-range nuclear tests."

The U.S. State Department also recently reaffirmed in a briefing that China bears responsibility for deterring North Korea’s provocations.

During the meeting, Secretary Austin and Minister Wei also discussed ways to improve dialogue channels between the two countries for crisis management. Secretary Austin conveyed to China that the U.S. will continue to uphold the "One China" principle as it has in the past.

This was the second meeting between the U.S. and Chinese defense ministers this year. Secretary Austin and Minister Wei first met face-to-face five months ago at the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore in June.

ADMM-Plus is a regional representative multilateral security consultation body involving the 10 ASEAN countries and eight major Asia-Pacific countries including South Korea and the U.S. This meeting, held under the theme "Solidarity for Harmonious Security," is being conducted in person for the first time in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic.