US-China military communications likely to be restored

The military communication between the United States and China, severed following the backlash from China over then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August last year, may see a resumption during the upcoming summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, slated for Wednesday, local time in San Francisco.

"President Biden will be able to report progress on the restoration of military communication after the summit and has had constructive discussions with China on this matter," Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to the White House, said Monday. On Tuesday, Japan's Kyodo News cited sources to report that it is expected that the leaders of both countries will agree to partially resume military dialogue.

The U.S. has expressed concerns that without the restoration of military communication, unintended incidents could occur in areas such as Taiwan and the South China Sea. In June, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China, strongly urged for this, but China rejected the proposal. With the signaling of positive development in the core task set by the Biden administration for this summit - the restoration of military dialogue - expectations have risen for a stabilization of relations between the two countries.

The recent dismissal of Li Shangfu, the former Chinese Defense Minister sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 for violating U.S. embargo by exporting weapons to Russia, further boosts optimism for the resumption of military communication. China had demanded lifting sanctions on Li, but the U.S. refused, escalating tensions between the two nations.


weappon@donga.com