Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hasn't communicated with his Chinese counterpart in "a couple of months," even as tension between the two countries' relationship has deteriorated further.
The silence from China's defense ministry includes refusing a Pentagon-requested call between Austin and Chinese Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe the day the U.S. military shot down the Chinese spy balloon that flew across the continental United States after it reached the Atlantic Ocean.
“The last time that I talked to him was a couple of months ago,” Austin said in an interview on CNN shown on Friday. “I think we’ll continue … to stress how important it is, and hopefully, Minister Wei will schedule that call."
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Last week, the secretary of defense said his counterparts "tend to shut down their military channels of communication" when "something happens," calling it "dangerous." However, he said, "It won't stop me from continuing to encourage them to open up the lines of communication. I think that's the right thing to do."
China's surveillance balloon first entered U.S. airspace on Jan. 28 over the Aleutian Islands in Alaska before it then entered Canadian airspace and subsequently reentered U.S. airspace over northern Idaho on Jan. 31. It then traveled across the country until it was over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the Carolinas, which is when an F-22 downed it on Feb. 4. The U.S. military has since recovered much of the debris, and it is now trying to learn from it.
"The PRC has declined our request" for dialogue with Wei that day, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said days later.
Chinese officials said the balloon was a “civilian airship” for research and weather purposes that had drifted off course and accused the U.S. of overreacting, though military officials have reaffirmed it had surveillance capabilities.
While the Pentagon has not had luck in communicating with China's defense leaders, other U.S. officials remain in contact with them.
"I recognize that there are tensions, but Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken still has an open line of communication with the foreign minister," National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters last week. "We still have an embassy in Beijing with a terrific ambassador, Nick Burns, and the State Department also can communicate directly with the PRC Embassy personnel here, so the lines are open. Unfortunately, the military lines aren't open. And that's really what we would like to see amended."
Over the last week, U.S. officials have also begun warning that China is considering providing Russia with "lethal aid" for its war in Ukraine. A Pentagon spokeswoman warned Wednesday that China would face "consequences" if it continued to deepen its relationship with Russia.
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China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, said in response that the U.S. is not in a position to dictate its relationship with Russia.
Blinken and China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, met last week on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where Blinken "warned about the implications and consequences if China provides material support to Russia or assistance with systemic sanctions evasion," according to State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a readout of the meeting.
Despite the warnings from the Biden administration, Wang traveled to Moscow earlier this week, where Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would travel there for a future visit.