The United States and China held military talks via video link on Thursday for the first time in more than a year, the Pentagon said.
The two powers agreed in November to resume military-to-military communications, and U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Li Zuocheng, spoke to each other via video link on Thursday.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Milley stressed the importance of exchanges to avoid miscalculations and potential risks associated with military operations.
This was Li’s first call to Milley, who took office in September. Kirby described the development as “positive.”
The United States and China are seeking to stabilize their tense relations. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in San Francisco in mid-November.
Washington has previously complained on several occasions that regular direct military communications with Beijing have been cut off and that this could lead to serious misunderstandings and miscalculations.
For example, Beijing has rejected requests for talks at the level of defense ministers. Washington has long warned that communication between the two countries’ militaries is essential for the responsible management of relations.
