Air Force General CQ Brown, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with his Chinese counterpart General Liu Zhenli via videoconference on Thursday in a step towards restoring military-to-military dialogue between the two global powers, the Pentagon has announced.
The talks mark the first senior military communication between Washington and Beijing since the Chinese government halted all such engagements in response to then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022.
The two military leaders “discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication”, the Pentagon said in a statement on Thursday.
Brown “reiterated the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue to reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings”, it added.
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Chinese fighter jet almost collides with US military plane over South China Sea
Chinese fighter jet almost collides with US military plane over South China Sea
The US side also “reaffirmed” the importance of resuming the bilateral Defense Policy Coordination Talks, Military Maritime Consultative Agreement talks, and “opening lines of communication between the Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command and the commanders of the PLA Eastern and Southern Theater Commands”.
Washington has accused Beijing of “coercive and risky operational behaviour” against US assets over the East and South China seas in recent months
In October, the Pentagon released declassified images and videos of PLA jets discharging chaff or shooting off flares while approaching very near to US aircraft at high speeds.
Zongyuan Zoe Liu of the Council of Foreign Relations called the meeting an important “incremental step” in repairing US-China ties.
‘I wouldn’t say I’m optimistic’ about state of China relations: US ambassador
‘I wouldn’t say I’m optimistic’ about state of China relations: US ambassador
“I don’t think it’s a major breakthrough”, she said, adding that “it’s simply restore and repair, things before the spy balloon and Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan”.
Zoe noted that the challenges ahead included “who is going to lead on both sides”, particularly on the China side because “there is no defence minister”.
Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu was formally dismissed from his position in October. Beijing has yet to announce a replacement.
Reuters has reported that General Liu could be the top contender for the job.
US President Joe Biden’s administration moved to normalise relations with Beijing this year through several visits to the Chinese capital by officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The diplomatic effort culminated in a meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco last month.
During their talks, the two leaders reached agreements on fentanyl trafficking, artificial intelligence and resumption of military communications.