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.
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
The talks between the defense chiefs underline the US desire to put bilateral military ties back on a solid footing. This is especially necessary as the risk of unintended escalation increased due to Beijing's hostile intercepts of US aircraft orand threats to Taiwan and other regional US regional allies. The US will continue to operate safely and responsibly 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 trustingtrust and defense ties is crucial for developing stable PRC-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 steps 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.
