China-US military officials meeting, US busy in improving relations with Dragon

The Pentagon said the top US military official held a virtual meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday. The talks, the first such in more than a year, come amid hopes by US officials that it could lead to a comprehensive restoration of ties between the two militaries. The video teleconference last month marked a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping to resume military-to-military ties that were severed by Beijing after then-House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited self-ruled Taiwan in August 2022. An agreement followed. U.S. Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Liu Zhenli of China’s People’s Liberation Army spoke on a range of global and regional security issues, Brown’s office said.

Liu heads the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the military body responsible for China’s war operations and planning. Pentagon officials say communication between the two forces is crucial to prevent a miscalculation from turning into a conflict. General Brown discussed the importance of working together to manage competition responsibly, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication, Brown’s office said. He reiterated the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in concrete dialogue to reduce the possibility of misunderstanding.

Brown said that last month he sent Liu an introductory letter saying he was open to meeting. According to a statement from the Chinese Defense Ministry late last night, Liu said the key for the US and China to develop a healthy, stable and sustainable military-to-military relationship is a correct understanding of China.