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The commander of US forces in the Indo-Pacific has spoken to a Chinese regional military commander for the first time as the two militaries follow through on an accord reached by President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping last year.
US Indo-Pacific commander Admiral Samuel Paparo held a video call with General Wu Yanan, head of the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command, on Tuesday, the two militaries said.
The commanders “had an in-depth exchange of views on issues of mutual concern”, the Chinese defence ministry said.
US Indo-Pacific Command described the call as “constructive and respectful” but said Paparo had urged the PLA to “reconsider its use of dangerous, coercive and potentially escalatory tactics in the South China Sea and beyond”.
The call is the latest sign of renewed engagement between the militaries. Biden and Xi agreed in San Francisco in November to resume military-to-military channels as part of a broader effort to stabilise US-China relations and reduce the chances of rising competition between the powers veering into conflict.
China shut down military communication channels in 2022 in protest after Nancy Pelosi became the first Speaker of the US House of Representatives to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
The two militaries have held several engagements this year, including a meeting between US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese defence minister Dong Jun at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in May.
But the call between Paparo and Wu was particularly significant because the heads of the two commands had never spoken. The Pentagon had long pushed for a call between the commanders, particularly as China has in recent years stepped up assertive activity in the South China Sea, including aggressive actions against the Philippines in recent months.
China has harassed Philippine military and other government ships in disputed waters with growing levels of violence since early last year. While the clashes are led by the China Coast Guard, PLA ships are normally nearby.
In the most serious incident, Chinese coastguard vessels rammed, towed and hacked holes into Philippine vessels near Second Thomas Shoal, a reef inside Manila’s exclusive economic zone where the Philippines has a military outpost.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr warned in May that if a Filipino citizen were killed in such a clash, it would be close to what his government would define as an act of war. The US has said its mutual defence treaty with the Philippines covers the South China Sea and coastguard ships.
Indo-Pacific Command said Paparo cited recent “unsafe interactions” with US allies and stressed the PLA had an “obligation to comply with international laws and norms to ensure operational safety”.
It added that the former fighter pilot had underscored the need for communication and hoped for further talks with Wu, in addition to discussions with the heads of other PLA theatre commands.
The call comes several weeks after US national security adviser Jake Sullivan held a rare meeting with General Zhang Youxia, vice-chair of China’s Central Military Commission, in Beijing.
Biden and Xi are expected to soon speak by phone and may meet in person at the Apec forum in Peru or at the G20 in Brazil, both in November.
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