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At a high military level! US and China hold high-profile video call

Washington has sought to open new channels for regular military communication with Beijing since their bilateral ties hit a historic low after the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon last year

Sep 10, 2024 07:55 266

At a high military level! US and China hold high-profile video call  - 1

The United States and China held high-level military talks for the first time on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

Against this background, both sides are trying to stabilize military ties and prevent military misunderstandings.

Washington has sought to open new channels of regular military communication with Beijing since their bilateral ties hit a historic low after the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon last year.

Admiral Sam Paparo, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, held a video call with his counterpart Wu Yanan of the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command.

The two sides had a "in-depth exchange of views on matters of common interest," the Chinese Ministry of Defense said.

The call follows a meeting in Beijing last month between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese leader Xi Jinping's top military adviser in search of such talks.

US Indo-Pacific Command's areas of responsibility include the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, two flashpoints of regional tension that have strained US-China relations.

Most two-way military engagements were suspended for nearly two years after Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, visited Taiwan in August 2022.

Last week, US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said he was alarmed by the "aggressive nature" of China's military build-up and the navy's intimidating behavior towards US allies - the Philippines and Japan.

"I certainly worry about an unintended conflict between our military forces, an accident, an accidental encounter," he admitted.

The United States plans to send a senior Pentagon official to a major security forum in China later this week.