U.S. and China generals engage in first talks in 18 months
Charles Brown, U.S. general (defense.gov)
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Charles Brown, held talks with General Liu Zhenli of the People's Liberation Army of China. Such a high-level dialogue between the countries took place for the first time in a year and a half, according to the press service of the U.S. Pentagon.
According to the agency, the American and Chinese generals discussed the importance of collaborative efforts to "responsibly manage competition," avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication.
The latest talks between American and Chinese counterparts at this level took place in July 2022.
The Pentagon highlights that this dialogue occurred amidst a sharp increase in the number of "provocative and risky" interceptions of American aircraft by China operating in international airspace.
As per the latest report on China's military strength, the U.S. recorded over 180 forced and risky aerial interceptions of American aircraft in the region from 2021 to 2023.
"That is more risky intercepts in the past two years than in the past decade, according to the report," emphasized by the Pentagon.
Background
Last month, the President of China, Xi Jinping, visited the United States, where he held a meeting with his counterpart, Joe Biden. One of the topics discussed between the leaders was the restoration of contacts at the military level. They agreed on the necessity to resume such negotiations.
In November, the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, noted that the U.S. was concerned about the absence of top-level military contacts with China.
