FILE PHOTO: United States and Chinese flags are arrange earlier than a gathering between U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Saturday, July 8, 2023. Mark Schiefelbein/Pool through REUTERS/File Photo
WASHINGTON — The prime U.S. army officer held a digital assembly along with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday, the Pentagon mentioned, within the first such dialog in over a yr amid hopes by U.S. officers that it may result in a broader restoration of ties between the 2 militaries.
The video teleconference adopted an settlement between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping final month to renew military-to-military ties severed by Beijing after then-House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited self-ruled Taiwan in August 2022.
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U.S. Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General Liu Zhenli of China’s People’s Liberation Army touched on “a number of global and regional security issues,” Brown’s workplace mentioned.
Liu is the chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the army physique answerable for China’s fight operations and planning.
Pentagon officers say communication between the 2 militaries is essential to stopping a miscalculation from spiraling into battle.
“Gen. Brown discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication,” Brown’s workplace mentioned.
“Gen. Brown reiterated the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue to reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings.”
Brown mentioned final month he had despatched an introductory letter to Liu saying he was open to assembly.
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Liu mentioned the important thing for U.S. and China to develop a wholesome, steady and sustainable military-to-military relationship is for the U.S. to have a “correct understanding of China”, in keeping with a Chinese defence ministry assertion late Thursday.
U.S. officers have cautioned that even with some restoration of army communications, forging really practical dialogue between the 2 sides may take time.
Some analysts say China seeks ambiguity in defence relations to constrain what Beijing sees as U.S. army provocations within the area.
Washington and Beijing are at loggerheads over every little thing from the way forward for democratically dominated Taiwan to territorial claims within the South China Sea. Diplomatic relations are nonetheless recovering after the U.S. downed an alleged Chinese spy balloon in February.
On the Taiwan problem, which China deems inside affairs, Liu mentioned Chinese armed forces will resolutely defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity over it.
Liu additionally requested for the U.S. to respect China’s territorial sovereignty, and maritime rights and pursuits within the South China Sea.
“Be prudent in words and actions, and take concrete actions to safeguard regional peace and stability and the overall situation of China-U.S. relations,” he mentioned.
Liu has emerged as the highest contender to switch China’s nationwide defence minister, General Li Shangfu, who was dismissed from his place final month. Reuters reported in September that Li was below investigation over suspected corruption associated to tools procurement and improvement.
In Tokyo final month, Brown acknowledged corruption within the Chinese army when requested about Li’s elimination, and broader points within the PLA, but additionally famous “alignment with Xi Jinping and his thinking as he continues to consolidate power”.
Li was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 for an arms deal he secured with Russia in an earlier position. China had demanded that the sanctions – which included a visa ban and prohibitions on conducting U.S. monetary transactions – be lifted.
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Liu, 59, isn’t below Western sanctions.