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Q: (inaudible) topic used in China. So why was the discussion between the Secretary Austin and Chinese Defense Minister, Dong Jun, held by via teleconference instead of just calling? So which side made the offer to like the video style?
GEN. RYDER: Sure. You know, on your latter question we’ve been working at the staff level for months ever since the president, President Biden, held his meeting with Xi Jinping to arrange the call. And so oftentimes you know, in terms of whether that’s a phone, whether it’s video teleconference, that’s coordinated between the two staffs. The key point here though is that they had the opportunity to communicate. And so, again, we’ll continue to look for opportunities to continue communicating in the future.
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Q: Thanks, so much. The U.S. 7th Fleet announced their aircraft transit through the Taiwan Strait one day after the Secretary’s phone call with the Chinese defense minister and China criticized this transit through the Taiwan Strait as provocative. So, do you have any response to China? And what was the U.S. message by conducting the transit just after the Secretary’s phone call with the Chinese counterpart?
GEN. RYDER: Well look, that — the transit was long scheduled. And as we’ve made clear on multiple occasions, the United States is going to sail, fly and operate wherever international law allows. And we’re going to do that safely and responsibly.
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Source: U.S. Department of Defense
Speaker: Major General Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary
Format: Press Briefing
China Policy Research 