A senior US military leader held a virtual meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday, the US Defense Department said.
It was the first such conversation in more than a year amid expectations of the restoration of extensive ties between the military departments of the two countries.
The video conference was the result of an agreement reached last month between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to renew military ties that Beijing severed after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Charles Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Gen. Liu Zhenli addressed “a range of global and regional security issues” during their talks, Brown’s office said.
Liu is the chief of the Joint Staff of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the military body responsible for China’s combat operations and military planning.
Pentagon officials say communication between the two militaries is critical to preventing potential incidents from escalating into conflict.
“General Brown discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculation, and maintain open and direct lines of communication,” Brown’s office said. “General Brown reiterated the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue to reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings.”
Brown said he sent Liu a welcoming letter last month saying he was open to a meeting.
According to an official statement from China’s Ministry of Defense late Thursday, Liu responded that the key to developing a healthy, stable and sustainable military relationship between the US and China is to “understand China correctly.”
U.S. officials have warned that even with some restoration of military communications, establishing truly functional dialogue between the two sides may take time.
Some analysts believe China is seeking an ambiguous defense relationship where Beijing can limit what the PLA sees as U.S. military provocations in the region.
Washington and Beijing disagree on many issues, from the future of a democratically governed Taiwan to territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Diplomatic relations are still being restored after the US shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon in February.
On the Taiwan issue, which China considers an internal matter, Liu said the Chinese military will “resolutely defend the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, including the island.”
Liu also called on the United States to respect China’s territorial sovereignty as well as China’s maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.
