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FILE PHOTO: United States and Chinese language flags are arrange earlier than a gathering between US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese language Vice Premier He Lifeng on the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Saturday, July 8, 2023. Mark Schiefelbein/Pool by way of REUTERS/File Photograph
WASHINGTON — The highest US army officer held a digital assembly together with his Chinese language counterpart on Thursday, the Pentagon mentioned, within the first such dialog in over a yr amid hopes by US officers that it may result in a broader restoration of ties between the 2 militaries.
The video teleconference adopted an settlement between US President Joe Biden and Chinese language President Xi Jinping final month to renew military-to-military ties severed by Beijing after then-Home of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited self-ruled Taiwan in August 2022.
READ: White Home ‘keen’ to renew army talks with China
US Air Power Common Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers, and Common Liu Zhenli of China’s Folks’s Liberation Military touched on “a variety of international and regional safety points,” Brown’s workplace mentioned.
Liu is the chief of the Joint Workers Division of the Central Navy Fee (CMC), the army physique accountable 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 mentioned the significance of working collectively to responsibly handle competitors, keep away from miscalculations, and preserve open and direct strains of communication,” Brown’s workplace mentioned.
“Gen. Brown reiterated the significance of the Folks’s Liberation Military partaking in substantive dialogue to cut back the probability of misunderstandings.”
Brown mentioned final month, he had despatched an introductory letter to Liu saying he was open to assembly.
READ: China, US change accusations over US vessel in South China Sea
Liu mentioned the important thing for the US and China to develop a wholesome, steady and sustainable military-to-military relationship is for the US to have a “right understanding of China,” in keeping with a Chinese language protection ministry assertion late Thursday.
US officers have cautioned that even with some restoration of army communications, forging a very useful dialogue between the 2 sides may take time.
Some analysts say China seeks ambiguity in protection relations to constrain what Beijing sees as US 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 US downed an alleged Chinese language spy balloon in February.
On the Taiwan challenge, which China deems an inner affair, Liu mentioned Chinese language armed forces will resolutely defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity over it.
Liu additionally requested for the US to respect China’s territorial sovereignty, maritime rights, and pursuits within the South China Sea.
“Be prudent in phrases and actions, and take concrete actions to safeguard regional peace and stability and the general state of affairs of China-US relations,” he mentioned.
Liu has emerged as the highest contender to switch China’s nationwide protection minister, Common 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 growth.
In Tokyo final month, Brown acknowledged corruption within the Chinese language army when requested about Li’s removing and broader points within the PLA, but in addition famous “alignment with Xi Jinping and his considering as he continues to consolidate energy”.
Li was sanctioned by the US 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 US monetary transactions – be lifted.
Liu, 59, shouldn’t be below Western sanctions.
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