The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has shown little interest in engaging in meaningful talks with the United States regarding the escalating tensions between the two superpowers and the potential consequences. In contrast, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin emphasized the importance of dialogue in his speech at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2023, a major international security conference in Singapore. Austin discussed the shared goals, alliances, and partnerships between countries, as well as cooperation in commerce and hopes to improve the lives of people in the Indo-Pacific region. He also condemned Russia and its invasion of Ukraine, before addressing China’s provocative and belligerent behavior, especially with regards to Taiwan, the self-governing democracy that Beijing claims as its own. While America has no official diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, it remains an important business partner with whom the U.S. does billions of dollars in business annually, including selling weapons. Austin assured that the United States is committed to helping its allies and defending the Indo-Pacific region, and that conflict in the Taiwan Strait can and should be avoided. He called for the U.S. and China to engage in substantive dialogue, emphasizing that it is a necessity, not a reward.