China Rebuffing All Contact With US Military: Pentagon

The Pentagon has expressed concern over China’s unwillingness to establish open lines of communication with the United States military. Such communication is vital in preventing unintentional conflict in areas, such as the South China Sea, where both nations have a naval presence. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs, Ely Ratner, emphasized the importance of open communication channels between the two nations in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Pentagon has reached out to China’s military in recent months but has been ignored or rebuffed. Ratner stressed the Pentagon’s belief in the importance of open communication but lamented the difficulty faced in getting China to engage in phone calls, meetings, or dialogues. At present, there is no consistent willingness from China to engage in military-to-military engagement, although there was hope that the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of China’s Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi, might signal a return to dialogue. The two nations continue to engage in trade talks, but concerns have been raised over actions taken against American companies operating within China. The Biden administration’s policy of arming Taiwan has also caused tension between the two nations.



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