On November 1st, United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that he met with China’s Minister of National Defense Admiral, Dong Jun, and both agreed to “strengthen communication, maintain stability in bilateral ties, and ‘set up military-to-military channels’ to deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise.”
The statement comes after a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, their first face-to-face meeting since Trump returned to the White House this past January. Hegseth went on to state that “The Admiral and I agree that peace, stability, and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries.”
A military agreement between the two countries would mark a pivotal shift from their historic relationship. The majority of the previous communication channels between the U.S. and Chinese governments went dormant during Trump’s first presidency, and the few channels that were left were severed by China in 2022 after the then-speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan.
One of the most contentious military regions is the South China Sea. China claims most of the region, but other Asian nations — such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei — also claim ownership of coastal areas. The Philippines, one of the U.S.’s closest allies, has had frequent clashes with China’s maritime fleet in the region, and Chinese officials have even recently described the country as a “troublemaker.” The newly-formed communication channels and military ties will be closely watched to see how the two countries navigate continued contention over Taiwan—including by other countries in the region, such as India, Japan, and Australia.
The move is also being watched by individual policy analysts. In order to avoid unintentional escalation within the Asian Pacific, experts have long advocated for direct military contacts between the two countries. However, other analysts warn that restoring contact is only an initial step, and that it is not certain that both countries can build military trust amongst the deteriorating political and economic ties. While some analysts may continue to be sceptical, the move at least marks a minor shift towards future collaboration — collaboration that is necessary to deter conflict and continue to build trust in the region.