China's new Defense Minister Li Shangfu will likely not meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a security summit in Singapore in June due to US sanctions placed on him over his purchase of Russian Su-35 fighter jets and C-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, Financial Times reports.
While the US government has stated that the sanctions against Li Shangfu will not affect his meeting with Austin, sources say that the Chinese government will not agree to a face-to-face meeting until the sanctions are lifted. Although the White House has no way to cancel the sanctions, they are hoping to avoid a complete breakdown of relations with China.
Before his current appointment, Li Shangfu held various military positions, including heading the Xichang Cosmodrome and serving as Deputy Commander of the Strategic Supply Force. In 2018, the US Department of Finance imposed sanctions against Li Shanfu and the Department of Training and Supply of the Chinese Central Military Council for their purchase of the Su-35 fighter jets and C-400 missile systems from Russia.
In addition to this issue, tensions have been increasing between the US and China in recent months, with the US military announcing in May that it had cut ties with its Chinese counterparts since November 2021 due to issues surrounding Taiwan and the US military's attacks on Chinese intelligence aerostats.
The US has also warned Kazakhstan that it may face secondary sanctions for its assistance to Russia, while India is reportedly seeking ways to procure weapons from Russia without falling under US sanctions. Recently, the European Commission included seven Chinese companies on a list of sanctions for their role in supplying Russia with equipment that could be used for military purposes.
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