China declines US request for defence chiefs to meet at Shangri-La Dialogue

China has blamed the US for its decision to decline a meeting between defence secretary Lloyd Austin and defence minister Li Shangfu. Both men will be in Singapore this week to attend the annual Shangri-La security dialogue. China’s foreign ministry has claimed the US is “well aware“ of the reasons behind a lack of military communication. Mr Li -- who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for buying Russian weapons -- was named defence minister in March. Subscribe to our channel here: Subscribe to our news service on Telegram: Follow us: CNA: CNA Lifestyle: Facebook: Instagram: Twitter: TikTok: @channelnewsasia