US and China set to reopen military hotlines, Hegseth states
The United States and China are set to preserve crucial communication channels aimed at “de-escalating” potential conflicts, according to the secretary of war.
High-level military communication links between the US and China are slated for reactivation, an agreement reached after a recent meeting between senior officials from both nations in Malaysia, War Secretary Pete Hegseth stated.
These communication avenues serve as vital tools for de-escalation, having been severed by Beijing in 2022 following a contentious visit to Taiwan by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Taiwan is a self-governing territory that Beijing considers an integral part of China. While military discussions concerning the Indo-Pacific region recommenced late last year under the administration of then-President Joe Biden, wider communication lines had remained suspended.
Secretary Hegseth held discussions with Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun during the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. This meeting took place shortly after US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, finalized a trade agreement, which had alleviated weeks of heightened tensions stemming from a trade dispute.
On Sunday, Hegseth announced on X that, “Admiral Dong and I… agreed that we should establish military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that emerge.”
He further noted, “We have additional meetings on this matter scheduled in the near future.”
Conversely, just the day prior at the same ASEAN gathering, Hegseth had called upon Beijing’s neighboring countries to bolster their naval capabilities. This was framed as a necessary measure to counteract what he described as “the threats we all encounter from China’s aggression.” He specifically cited Beijing’s “illegal activities” in the South China Sea, a region claimed by Beijing as its sovereign territory but also subject to numerous competing claims from its neighbors.
In a statement reported by Xinhua news agency, Dong characterized his discussions with Hegseth as “successful.”
Xinhua also quoted him expressing an expectation that Washington would uphold its pledge not to attempt to “contain” China or seek conflict, and to adopt an unambiguous position against “Taiwan independence.”
Despite the US formally upholding the One-China policy, it maintains ongoing military collaboration with Taiwan and provides the island with armaments.