The Chinese defense ministry declined an invitation for a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is in the Pacific region this week, the latest hurdle in a rocky relationship between the defense leaders of both countries.

Austin had hoped to meet his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, at the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus this week in Laos, according to the Associated Press. The secretary, over the course of his tenure, has repeatedly tried to maintain open lines of communication with Beijing to ensure there are no miscommunications, though Beijing has often rebuffed U.S. requests.