US defence secretary raises concerns about China's military activity, Pentagon says

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leaves after a U.S.-China bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Idrees Ali

Source: REUTERS

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin raised concerns about China's military activity during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Friday in Singapore, the Pentagon said, the first such face-to-face contact since 2022.

"The secretary expressed concern about recent provocative PLA activity around the Taiwan Strait, and he reiterated that the PRC should not use Taiwan's political transition - part of a normal, routine democratic process - as a pretext for coercive measures," Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement after the meeting.

He was referring to the People's Liberation Army and the People's Republic of China.

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By Reuters