US, Chinese militaries hold coordination talks

WASHINGTON/ISTANBUL

The US and Chinese military officers concluded two-day talks in Washington, an official from the Pentagon announced on Tuesday.

Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, met with China's Maj. Gen. Song Yanchao, deputy director of the Central Military Commission Office for International Military Cooperation, spokesman Lt. Col. Martine Meiners said in a statement.

The meeting which was held between Jan. 8-9 was the 17th US-China defense policy coordination talks, he added.

Last November, US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in San Francisco for a bilateral summit which paved the way for resuming military-to-military communications and "clear and open" communication between the defense establishments to avoid miscalculations by either side and preventing a conflict.

“The two sides discussed US-PRC (People's Republic of China) defense relations, and Dr. Chase highlighted the importance of maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication in order to prevent competition from veering into conflict,” Meiners said.

Beijing had unilaterally snapped high-level military communication in August 2022 after then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid an unannounced trip to Taiwan.

He also discussed the importance of operational safety across the Indo-Pacific region, and reaffirmed that the US will continue to "fly, sail, and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows," Meiners said.

Regional and global security issues, the Russia-Ukraine war, and North Korea's steps on the Peninsula were also on the agenda, he said.

“Dr. Chase also reiterated that the United States remains committed to our longstanding one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three U.S.-China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances, and he reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Strait," he added.

Last month, the top US military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Q Brown, held a video conference with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Liu Zhenli, Meiners noted in the statement.

'Reduce military presence, provocation' in South China Sea, US told

According to Beijing, the Chinese side said it was "willing to develop a sound and stable" military-to-military relationship with the US side "on the basis of equality and respect."

China's Defense Ministry said it recalled and urged the US to "work together to follow through the important consensus on mil-mil engagement reached" by the two heads of state during their meeting in San Francisco.

"The US side needs to take seriously China's concerns and do more things that contribute to the growth of the mil-mil relationship," said the statement.

"China will not make any concession or compromise on the Taiwan question and demanded that the US side abide by the one-China principle, honor relevant commitments, stop arming Taiwan, and not support Taiwan independence," the Chinese officials told their US counterparts.

The US side, the statement added, was urged "to reduce military presence and provocation in the South China Sea and stop supporting provocative actions by a certain country."

China and the Philippines engaged in a hostile battle in the disputed waters in recent weeks.

"The US side should fully recognize the root cause of maritime and air security issues, strictly discipline its troops on the ground, and stop manipulating and hyping up relevant issues," said the Chinese Defense Ministry statement.