US-China military leaders hold routine talks to discuss South China Sea tensions and other issues
BANGKOK– US and Chinese military leaders met in Beijing for routine talks that only resumed in January after a two-year suspension as ties between the two countries deteriorated. The meetings ended on Sunday, with officials discussing ongoing issues including Taiwan, the Russia-Ukraine war and clashes in the South China Sea.
Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, led a delegation participating in the bilateral talks on defense policy coordination. which were last held in January.While the talks were not expected to resolve longstanding disagreements over issues ranging from claims in the South China Sea to Taiwan, the US has pursued the talks as a way to avoid conflict.
The meetings came after Chase attended the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, a defense forum that is China’s answer to the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Communication between the two militaries broke down in 2021 as tensions between the US and China rose over growing disagreements over issues including Taiwan’s sovereignty, the origins of COVID-19 and economic issues.
Beijing has historically ignored US requests to intervene, especially in recent interceptions between American and Chinese aircraft and ships. While communications resumed after US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in San Francisco last November, it is unclear whether the talks can continue now that the US is about to hold a presidential election.
In the bilateral talks, the two sides discussed China’s support for Russia during the ongoing war in Ukraine, as well as China’s actions in the South China Sea, said a senior U.S. defense official who briefed reporters on the meetings. On Sunday, the Philippine ship, BRP Teresa Magbanua, had departed a disputed shoal to resupply and provide medical care to its crew members. The defense official said they were “closely monitoring further developments there.”
China’s claims over the South China Sea have become increasingly assertive, with clashes with the Philippine coast guard increasing. In August, both sides accused each other of a collision between their ships, leaving gaping holes in the Philippine vessels.
The maritime claims have led to clashes at sea, such as the Sabina Shoal, which is claimed by both China and the Philippines. China in August blocked attempts to resupply the BRP Teresa Magbanua with a force of 40 ships.
The Philippines said it would immediately replace the ship, but the vessel’s departure raised questions about whether China would seize the shoal. Philippine scientists had previously found submerged piles of crushed coral in the shoals, raising concerns that China is preparing to build a structure to stake its claim.
China confirmed the departure of the ship, which it said “infringed on China’s territorial sovereignty.”
“During this period, China had taken control measures against the ship in accordance with the law, and several attempts by the Philippine side to forcibly resupply the ship had failed,” Liu Dejun, spokesman for the Chinese coast guard, said in a statement.