Pentagon chief warns China on Taiwan, says time for talks is now

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“For responsible defence leaders, the time to talk is every time, and the right time to talk is now,” Mr Austin said. “I’m deeply concerned that the People’s Republic of China has been unwilling to engage more seriously on better mechanisms for crisis management between our two militaries. But I hope that will change, and soon.” The Singapore conference is taking place with nations across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, that have grown increasingly concerned that tensions between the US and China were irreparable and could spill over into conflict. It followed a surge in tensions between the world’s two superpowers...