General Liu Zhenli, chief of staff of the Central Military Commission’s Joint Staff Department, spoke with his United States counterpart, General Charles Brown, Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The two nations’ heads of state reached an important consensus on resuming communication and exchanges between the two militaries.
General Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Central Military Commission’s Joint Staff Department, spoke with his United States counterpart, General Charles Brown, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, via a video link on Thursday, according to a news release from China’s Ministry of National Defense.
Liu said that during the San Francisco meeting, the two nations’ heads of state reached an important consensus on resuming communication and exchanges between the two militaries. The armed forces of both sides should carry out exchanges and cooperation based on equality and respect and work together to help stabilize and improve bilateral relations.
The Chinese general said that to develop sound, stable, and sustainable military-to-military relations, an important prerequisite is that the US side must have a correct understanding of China and should earnestly respect China’s core interests and major concerns. He added that major efforts should be made to advance practical cooperation and enhance mutual understanding.
Liu stressed that the Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair, which brooks no external interference, and the Chinese military will resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also said that the US side should respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, be cautious with words and deeds, and take concrete actions to safeguard regional peace and stability as well as the overall soundness of China-US relations.
“Gen. Brown discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication,” according to a U.S. Defense Department readout.
The U.S. readout suggests that lower-level military engagement between the two countries may soon resume. This includes their bilateral Defense Policy Coordination Talks, Military Maritime Consultative Agreement talks, and opening lines of communication between the leaders of the respective military commands in the South China Sea and the broader Pacific.
They also discussed other topics, which the release did not elaborate on.
Beijing had stopped high-level military communication in protest after the former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022 as ties between the two countries soured. This was the first time the two generals have spoken since Brown was appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.