White House ‘eager’ to resume military talks with China

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE – The United States and China have yet to resume the military-to-military talks their leaders agreed to at a splashy summit in November, according to the White House, which wants to jump-start the discussions to lower tensions.

White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One that talks would “reduce miscalculation and misunderstanding”.

But he said the talks may not be happening because China has not replaced General Li Shangfu, its former defence minister,

who was dismissed in October

and was the counterpart of US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

“It’s my understanding that they haven’t been restored and part of that could be because they don’t have a minister of defence,” said Mr Kirby. “We certainly urge them to designate somebody soon and we’re eager to get those going.”

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed in November

at a closely watched California summit

to resume such contacts, which were severed after then House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited self-ruled Taiwan in August 2022.

China claims sovereignty over democratically governed Taiwan.

Taiwan said on Dec 8 that 12 Chinese fighter jets and a suspected weather balloon had crossed the Taiwan Strait’s sensitive median line, in a ratcheting-up of tensions about a month before the island’s presidential election.

Taiwan will hold the election on Jan 13, 2024, a date Biden administration officials have been closely watching.

The Biden administration has said it wants communications throughout the US’ and China’s militaries, including both senior leaders and commanders in specific geographic areas where conflicts happen.

The militaries of the two countries have had a number of near misses and acrimonious exchanges over the past year, from the Taiwan Strait to the South China Sea. REUTERS