On Thursday, September 5th, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns stated that the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command commander will have a conversation with the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army in the coming weeks to prevent any military misunderstandings between the U.S. and China.
Last month, U.S. National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan visited Beijing and met with Chinese military commission vice-chairman Zhang Youxia, where they agreed for the leaders of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to have a phone discussion with the Chinese Southern Theater Command. The Southern Theater Command covers the southern waters of China.
“We believe that Admiral Sam Paparo will engage in dialogues with the commander of the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command in the coming weeks,” Burns stated in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine.
Burns mentioned China’s provocative actions toward U.S. allies in the South China Sea. He expressed concerns about China’s aggressive military modernization and nuclear buildup without transparency, especially following Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Since the U.S. downed a Chinese spy balloon last year, bilateral relations have hit historical lows, prompting the U.S. to seek closer military communication channels with Beijing to avoid misjudgments.
“We sincerely hope this relationship can continue at a higher level,” the ambassador said, referring to dialogues involving U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin, Chinese military officials, U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Charles Brown, and counterparts from China.
“We must maintain this communication. In the event of accidents or misunderstandings, military leaders from both sides can meet to de-escalate tensions, alleviate conflicts, and ensure a rational way to address issues,” he added.
Burns pointed out the structural competition between the U.S. and China in military, economic, and technological arenas, emphasizing the need to defend U.S. national interests while avoiding conflicts.
Expressing worry about China’s “aggressive” military developments and its naval actions perceived as “aggressive and intimidating” toward U.S. allies like the Philippines and Japan, he stressed the importance of preventing accidental clashes or collisions between naval and air forces in international waters and airspace across the region.
“This is why we hope that the Beijing government commits to enabling immediate communication between our military leaders in case of accidents, to de-escalate tensions, separate the conflicting parties, and solve problems promptly,” Burns said.