US, China defense leaders hold first talks in 18 months

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun on Tuesday in the first such engagement in almost 18 months.

In the video conference call, the two superpowers’ defense leaders laid out where they stood on “defense relations and regional and global security issues,” according to a Pentagon statement.

Austin: US, China must continue ‘open lines’ of communication

The call comes after US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping resumed direct…