U.S., Chinese defense chiefs speak virtually in 1st talks since 2022

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a virtual meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Tuesday, the Pentagon said, as their countries seek to promote communication and prevent geopolitical rivalry from veering into conflict, accidentally or otherwise.It is the first time since November 2022 that Austin has held talks with his Chinese counterpart. The U.S. defense chief and Dong, who took office in December, discussed the situations in the South China Sea and around the Taiwan Strait, as well as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's weapons development program, accordi…READ FULL ARTICLE