US Hits Roadblock in Bid to Renew China Military Ties: Its Own Sanctions
- China demands lifting of sanctions against a defense official
- Li Shangfu was sanctioned in 2018 over arms sales to Russia
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The US is hitting a roadblock of its own making as it seeks to revive ties with China’s military: sanctions it imposed on the current defense minister back in 2018.
Chinese officials have so far rebuffed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s request to meet with Defense Minister Li Shangfu at an event they’ll both be attending in June in Singapore. The reason is the sanctions that the Trump administration imposed on Li back when he oversaw an arms purchase from Russia.