China declined a US request for the countries’ defense chiefs to meet this week, Beijing’s latest rebuff of the Biden administration’s efforts to restore ties with key officials amid heightened tensions.

The Chinese government declined an invitation from the US for a meeting between the top military leaders of the two countries that would have taken place in Singapore this week, the Pentagon announced on Monday.

China has declined a request from the United States for a meeting between their defense chiefs at an annual security forum in Singapore this weekend, media reported on Monday, a new sign of strain between the powers.

Prospects for a renewed military dialogue between China and the U.S. remain dim, with Beijing saying their defense chiefs will not hold a bilateral meeting while both are attending a weekend security

China rejected an invitation for its defense minister to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of an annual defense summit in Singapore.

China has rejected a United States proposal for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to meet with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu at the Shangri-La Dialogue Security Forum in Singapore this week, according to a Pentagon statement.