US and China agree to resume military communications
Nov 16, 2023 / GMT+6
President Joe Biden said that the United States and China will resume military-to-military communications in an attempt to ease increasing tensions. After a rare face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California, Biden expressed satisfaction with "We're back to direct, open, clear communications".
More topics for you...This topic continues below.
China reports record $1.2 trillion trade surplus for 2025, defying Trump's tariffs.
This marked the first time the two leaders had conversed in person in over a year. But there were still indications of tension as Biden reiterated his belief that Xi is a dictator. China's foreign ministry subsequently criticized these remarks, but overall, both sides are presenting the meeting as largely successful.
During a press conference held after the summit, which take place at a significant country estate near San Francisco, Mr Biden emphasized the importance of establishing a direct line of communication between both leaders. He said that a lack of communication could lead to accidents and conveyed that now, both presidents have the ability to instantly hear each other by picking up the phone.
Last year, China cut off military communications following a visit to Taiwan by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Beijing considers Taiwan, which governs itself, as its own territory and has even threatened to forcibly annex it if necessary.
Despite holding differing views on various issues, Mr Biden acknowledged that Mr Xi had been honest in his discussions. He described the talks as highly constructive and productive, ranking among the most successful discussions they have had so far.
During a subsequent dinner with American business leaders, Mr. Xi expressed his sincere desire to enhance relations with the United States. He confidently said that he and President Biden were in consensus regarding the need to pursue diplomacy and cooperation moving forward.
BBC News reports says that -
