U.S. Expresses "Grave Concerns Over China's Activities in the South China Sea"
As the United States and China agreed to refrain from escalating the trade war on the occasion of their summit, United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun met face-to-face for the first time in Malaysia.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the two ministers held talks on the 31st (local time) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) is taking place.
The Department of Defense stated, "Secretary Hegseth emphasized the importance of maintaining the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region," adding, "He expressed the United States' grave concerns regarding China's activities in the South China Sea, around Taiwan, and towards U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region."
The Department further added that Secretary Hegseth stressed to Minister Dong that "the United States does not seek conflict, but will firmly defend its interests in the Indo-Pacific and will maintain the capabilities necessary to do so."
This meeting marks the first in-person encounter between the U.S. and Chinese defense ministers. Previously, they had exchanged greetings via video call on September 9.
During that call, Secretary Hegseth stated, "The United States does not desire conflict with China and does not seek regime change," while Minister Dong warned, "We hope for a stable and open relationship with the United States, but any attempt to support Taiwan's independence will fail."
The U.S. Department of Defense also announced that it will continue discussions with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China on important matters going forward.
Bloomberg News explained that this meeting took place immediately after the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea the previous day.
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