Hegseth Reveals Reopening US, China Military Communication Channels
(MENAFN) The United States and China have reached an agreement to reopen high-level military-to-military communication channels following a recent meeting between their top defense officials in Malaysia, as reported by War Secretary Pete Hegseth.
These communication channels are considered a vital tool for reducing tensions and preventing conflicts.
They were suspended in 2022 by Beijing after a visit to Taiwan by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Taiwan, which operates as a self-governed territory, is regarded by Beijing as an inseparable part of China.
Although military dialogue between the two nations resumed late last year under President Joe Biden’s administration, broader military communications had remained interrupted.
Hegseth met with Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun during the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, just days after US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a trade agreement that alleviated weeks of tension due to a flare-up in the ongoing trade war.
“Admiral Dong and I... agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise,” Hegseth shared on X, the social media platform, on Sunday.
He added, “We have more meetings on that coming soon.”
However, a day earlier at the ASEAN meeting, Hegseth emphasized the need for China’s neighboring countries to strengthen their naval forces in response to what he described as “the threats we all face from China's aggression.”
He accused Beijing of engaging in “illegal activities” in the South China Sea, a region that China claims as its sovereign territory but is also subject to competing claims from several other nations.
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