Austin Says He Has Not Spoken to Chinese Counterpart for ‘Couple of Months’
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a plenary session at the 19th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue, Asia’s annual defense and security forum, in Singapore, Saturday, June 11, 2022.
InternationalIndiaAfricaWASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Friday he has not spoken to his Chinese counterpart for a “couple of months” and hopes Wei Fenghe schedules a phone call. “The last time that I talked to him was a couple of months ago. “I think we’ll continue … to stress how important it is and hopefully Minister Wei will schedule that call,” Austin told a American TV channel. The Pentagon chief added his Chinese counterpart “knows where to find” him. 
MultimediaHigh Seas Containment: US Military Assets Near China17 February, 15:16 GMTAustin expressed his opinion that China is currently not planning to provide Russia with lethal weapons, but it has not been “taken off the table.” “[T]here’s reputational risk, and of course, I’m sure China would love to enjoy a good relationship with all the countries in Europe,” he said. “And again, if you just look at the numbers of countries around the world, that really think that what Russia has done is horrible, I mean, adding to that, I think China – it would be a very ill-advised step for China to take.” In early February, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said China had declined a US request to hold a call between Austin and Wei after the US military downed a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon in US airspace. China maintains that the airship was conducting scientific research.
