The US Secretary of Defense "regrets" his Chinese counterpart's refusal to meet with him

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, during a visit to Tokyo Thursday, expressed his "regret" at his Chinese counterpart Li Changfu's refusal to meet with him this week, especially in light of the recent "provocative" maneuvers carried out by Chinese fighter jets near US military aircraft.

Washington considers talks with China "necessary" to reduce the possibility of conflict

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Saturday that dialogue between the United States and China is "necessary" and will avoid miscalculations that could lead to conflict after Beijing refused to hold an official meeting between him and his Chinese counterpart.