US, China Defense Chiefs Hold First Talks in 18 Months
US, China Defense Chiefs Hold First Talks in 18 Months
The Facts
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a video call with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun on Tuesday, marking the first direct talk between defense chiefs in nearly 18 months.
The two discussed bilateral defense ties and regional as well as global security issues, with Austin stressing the importance of expanding military-to-military communications, according to the Pentagon.US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a video call with China's National Defense Minister Dong Jun on Tuesday, marking the first direct conversation between both countries' defense chiefs in almost 18 months.
The Spin
ThereThe istalks abetween 32%the chance,defense thatchiefs Chinaunderline willthe launchUS desire to put bilateral military ties back on a full-scalesolid invasionfooting. This is especially necessary as the risk of unintended escalation increased due to Beijing's hostile intercepts of US aircraft or threats to Taiwan byand 2035,other accordingUS regional allies. The US will continue to theoperate Metaculussafely predictionand communityresponsibly where international law permits, and as mutual trust improves further, Beijing will realize that competition must not end in conflict.
China welcomes the Austin-Dong talks as building trusting PRC-USdefense military ties is crucial for developing stable bilateralPRC-US relations and preventing major crises. However, to avoid jeopardizing the encouraging progress, the US should refrain from playing a double game and take practical measuressteps to maintain regional peace and stability. Beijing rejects any zero-sum logic, and peaceful coexistence is possible as long as China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights are respected.
