US Defense Chief won’t be meeting Chinese officials at Indonesia military forum

(From left) US Vice President Kamala Harris, US President Joe Biden, and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. — Bloomberg

WASHINGTON, DC (Bloomberg): US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin won’t meet with Chinese officials during a military dialog in Indonesia because China has yet to replace its defence minister and isn’t sending anyone of the appropriate rank.

Austin’s office had requested a meeting with his counterpart during the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Jakarta, Indonesia, even though the job has been vacant since Li Shangfu was ousted late last month.