Chinese Official Rebuffs Pentagon Chief’s Criticisms at Security Summit

A senior Chinese military official denounced Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin’s comments on Taiwan on Saturday at Asia’s top security summit, as relations between the world’s two largest economies continue to sour.

In a speech kicking off the second day of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, which brings together more than 600 military leaders, policymakers and analysts from 40 nations, the U.S. Defense Secretary warned China that “conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be devastating” as he reiterated calls for greater communication between the American and Chinese militaries.