China Refuses to Hold Meeting With Pentagon Chief Over US Arms Sales to Taiwan - Reports

Austin wanted to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, at the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Laos, but China rejected the offer, the report said on Tuesday.

Taiwan has been governed independently of mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan, a territory with its own elected government, maintains that it is an autonomous country, although it has stopped short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts by foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.