Top US, Chinese military brass hold first call to stabilize ties
BEIJING—The United States and China held theater-level commander talks for the first time on Tuesday, Chinese authorities said, amid efforts to stabilize military ties and avoid misunderstandings, especially in regional hot spots such as the South China Sea.
Washington seeks to open new channels of regular military communication with Beijing since ties sank to a historic low after the United States downed a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon last year.
Adm. Sam Paparo, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, held a video telephone call with his counterpart Wu Yanan of the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The US Indo-Pacific Command’s areas of responsibility include the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, two hot spots for regional tension that are also flashpoints in US-China bilateral ties.
‘Dangerous tactics’
Both sides had an “in depth exchange of views on issues of common concern,” the Chinese defense ministry said in a readout.
Paparo urged the PLA “to reconsider its use of dangerous, coercive, and potentially escalatory tactics in the South China Sea and beyond”, the Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that described the exchange as “constructive and respectful.” —REUTERS
