WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd May, 2022) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that he looks forward to working with his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, in the near future and will surely see him at the Shangri-La Dialogue, scheduled to take place in Singapore from June 10-12.
"We both want to make sure that we work together to promote security and stability in the region, and so I look forward to again engaging him in the not-too-distant future. I'm sure I'll see him at the Shangri-La Dialogue coming up in June," Austin said during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing.
Austin in April spoke with National Defense Minister Wei as a follow-up to a call between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. The two leaders spoke about issues including the US-China relationship and Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, according to the Pentagon.
The Shangri-La Dialogue, convened by the Institute for Strategic Studies, is an annual event designed to allow heads of state and top defense officials to meet in person to discuss security challenges. The event did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
