Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently spoke with China’s national defense minister, Adm. Dong Jun, in an effort to improve communications with the Chinese military and reduce escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. This conversation marks the first time Austin has engaged with any Chinese counterpart since November 2022. The call, which lasted over an hour, focused on the importance of maintaining military-to-military communication and respecting freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.
The relationship between Washington and Beijing has been strained, with military contact stalling in August 2022 after China suspended all communication following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. However, efforts to ease tensions were initiated in November when President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. This was followed by a video call between Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his Chinese counterpart, marking the first senior military-to-military contact since Pelosi’s visit.
The anticipation for Austin’s call with Dong was high, as the admiral only assumed the defense job in December. Previous Defense Minister Wei Fenghe declined a request to speak with Austin last year after a Chinese spy balloon was shot down by the U.S. Austin had previously met with Wei in 2022 during a defense conference in Cambodia. The call addressed concerns about unsafe and unprofessional incidents in the Pacific, with Beijing engaging in aggressive military maneuvers following Pelosi’s visit, such as challenging boundaries in the Taiwan Strait and firing missiles over Taiwan and into Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
During the call, Austin and Dong also discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, concerns about North Korea, and the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. A senior defense official emphasized that the call presented an opportunity to prevent the competition between the U.S. and China from escalating into conflict. While there have been no recent unsafe intercepts of American aircraft by China, concerns remain about coercive behavior towards Philippine ships in the South China Sea. This highlights the need for ongoing communication and coordination between the two nations.
Earlier this month, U.S. and Chinese defense officials met in Hawaii to address aggressive incidents involving ships and aircraft in the Pacific. The China-U.S. Military Maritime Consultative Agreement meeting involved military and civilian representatives from both sides and was the first in-person meeting since 2019. A virtual meeting was held in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This engagement reflects efforts to address concerns and prevent further escalation in the region. Overall, the recent communication between U.S. and Chinese officials signals a willingness to engage in dialogue and work towards de-escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
