The United States and China held theatre-level commander talks for the first time yesterday, Chinese authorities said, amid efforts to stabilise 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 US downed a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon last year.
Admiral 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.
Both sides had an “in depth exchange of views on issues of common concern,” the Chinese defence ministry said in a readout.
The call followed a meeting in Beijing last month between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s leading military adviser, at which the talks were agreed.
