US Defense Secretary Austin warns against China's bullying tactics at security summit.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin assured Beijing that the US remains committed to maintaining the status quo on Taiwan and would prefer dialogue over conflict, while vowing that Washington would not stand for any "coercion and bullying" of its allies and partners by China. Austin lobbied for support for Washington's vision of a "free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific within a world of rules and rights" as the best course to counter increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region.