The senior officials at the Pentagon responsible for Indo-Pacific affairs have had a conversation with their Chinese counterparts, marking the first such interaction since 2019.
According to a statement released by the Pentagon on Thursday (May 16), Dr. Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, had a video call with Major General Li Bin, Director of the International Military Cooperation Office of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, to discuss mutual concerns.
The statement mentioned that the two sides discussed U.S.-China defense relations, with the U.S. emphasizing the importance of maintaining open communication channels in order to reduce the risk of miscommunication.
Since the visit to Taiwan by former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Pelosi in August 2022, China has closed previous routine military communication channels.
After the meeting between President Biden and the Chinese leader at the APEC summit in San Francisco in October 2023, the two sides agreed to resume military communication. It was not until April 2024 that Secretary of Defense Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun had their first conversation. However, many military channels are still closed by the Chinese side.
The Financial Times reported that Ratner’s call with Li Bin took place less than a month before the annual Shangri-La Dialogue scheduled from May 31 to June 2, where U.S. and Chinese defense ministers are likely to meet.
The U.S. statement reiterated the importance of communication between the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander and the Chinese Southern and Eastern Theater Command Commanders at the meeting. They discussed the importance of collective action security in the entire Indo-Pacific region and emphasized America’s unwavering commitment to allies in the region and globally.
They also discussed regional and global security matters. Ratner emphasized the importance of respecting freedom of navigation in international waters guaranteed by international law and expressed concerns over Beijing’s dangerous actions against Philippine vessels operating lawfully in the South China Sea.
The U.S. also mentioned concerns over the relationship between Russia and North Korea, as well as serious concerns about Beijing’s support for the Russian defense industry, which enables Russia to wage war in Ukraine.
Russian President Putin is currently on a two-day state visit to Beijing after being re-elected as President. It is speculated that he is seeking more from the Chinese government.
China has become an important ally to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. Beijing has refused to condemn the war and continues to deepen trade with heavily sanctioned Russia.
Taiwan’s newly elected President and Vice President Lai Ching-te and Hsiao Mei-chin will be inaugurated on May 20. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense stated that on Wednesday (May 15), 45 Chinese military aircraft intruded into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, with 26 aircraft crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. This marks the highest number of Chinese military aircraft intrusions in a single day this year, with six Chinese military ships active around the Taiwan Strait.
Simultaneously, the Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it would send a bipartisan senior delegation to Taiwan to attend the inauguration.
The delegation includes two former officials, former Biden presidential assistant and former Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese (Democratic Party), former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage (Republican Party), as well as former Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and current Brookings Institution researcher Richard Bush, and current Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan Laura Rosenberger.
During a White House press briefing, when asked about recent provocations such as Chinese ships nearing Kinmen in February and incidents with the Taiwan Coast Guard, a White House official noted that Beijing has been using such escalating pressure and coercion tactics not only across the Taiwan Strait but also in regions like the South China Sea. The U.S. continues to monitor these activities closely, maintains close contact with Taiwan, and directly expresses concerns to Chinese leadership regarding such coercive behaviors.
In Thursday’s Defense Department statement, Ratner reiterated that the U.S. remains committed to a long-term China policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China joint communiques, and the Six Assurances, emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and stability.