US and China military commanders talk for first time since 2022 row but remain at odds over South China Sea and Taiwan

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - A file photo showing US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel Paparo (left) and Philippine Army Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr in Manila, the Philippines on August 27, 2024. — Reuters pic

WASHINGTON, Sept 10 — A senior US military official warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing’s “dangerous” moves in the South China Sea during the first talks of their kind between the commanders.

Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of self-ruled Taiwan and China’s increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions.

But they have sought to re-establish regular military-to-military talks in a bid to prevent flashpoint disputes from spinning out of control.

Samuel Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and Wu Yanan, head of the Chinese army’s Southern Theater Command talked via video call on Tuesday China time.

Paparo “underscored the importance of sustained lines of communication between the US military and the PLA,” a statement from his command said.

“Such discussions between senior leaders serve to clarify intent and reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation,” he said.

But he also raised recent “unsafe interactions with US allies” by the Chinese side.

Paparo “urged the PLA to reconsider its use of dangerous, coercive, and potentially escalatory tactics in the South China Sea and beyond,” the statement said, referring to the Chinese military by its official name.

Wu’s Southern Theater Command is responsible for the Beijing military’s activities in the South China Sea, where Chinese vessels have engaged in a series of high-profile confrontations with Philippine ships in recent months.

China claims almost all of the economically vital body of water despite competing claims from other countries and an international court ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

This month, Beijing insisted it was defending its “rights” in the waters, after the Philippines released footage appearing to show a Chinese coast guard vessel ramming one of its ships during an at-sea confrontation.

‘In-depth’ talks

Beijing’s readout of the talks said that Wu held “an in-depth exchange of views” with his US counterpart.

The two officials discussed “issues of common concern”, it added.

The talks were the first of their kind since China scrapped military communications with the United States in 2022 in response to then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Tuesday’s high-level military dialogue between the geopolitical rivals comes on the heels of the first visit to China by a US national security advisor since 2016.

Top White House aide Jake Sullivan visited Beijing last month, where he held talks with senior army official Zhang Youxia.

Sullivan’s meeting with Zhang saw the officials agree to hold a call between the two sides’ theatre commanders in the near future, the White House said.

The top aide also raised the importance of “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea and “stability” in the Taiwan Strait, Washington said.

Zhang, in turn, warned that the status of the self-ruled island was “the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations”.

“China demands that the US halts military collusion with Taiwan, ceases arming Taiwan, and stops spreading false narratives related to Taiwan,” Zhang added.

He also asked the US to “work with China to promote communication and exchanges between the two militaries and jointly shoulder the responsibilities of major powers”. — AFP