The defense ministers of the USA and China are speaking to each other again for the first time. Lloyd Austin calls for peace in the Taiwan Strait – and sends a fighter jet to the region.
China considers Taiwan to be part of its own territory and is threatening to annex the democratically ruled island to the mainland by force. The South China Sea is one of the flashpoints in the conflict between China and the USA. Beijing claims almost the entire maritime area through which a large part of world trade passes and where large oil and gas deposits are suspected. However, other neighbors also lay claim to parts of the sea. Washington has repeatedly assured the government in Manila that it would support it in the event of an escalating conflict in the region, including the Philippines. The Pentagon said the war in Ukraine was also a topic on Tuesday's phone call, without giving any details. In China, the defense minister has a more representative role; policy is determined by party leader Xi.