U.S. and Chinese military leaders to engage in first phone conversation in years

The commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is expected to speak with his Chinese counterpart in an effort to rebuild military ties and avoid conflict. Adm. Samuel Paparo will speak with Gen. Wu Yanan, commander of China’s Southern Theater, responsible for claims over the South China Sea. This will be the first formal conversation between the two regional military commanders in years. Previous attempts to meet were unsuccessful due to tensions between the nations, including China cutting off military communications in 2022 after a visit to Taiwan by Rep. Nancy Pelosi. The U.S. and China have had disagreements over Taiwan, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Relations deteriorated further in 2023 with the downing of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping agreed to resume military communications at a summit in November, and both countries announced plans for a call between their military theater commanders after a recent visit by Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser. The re-establishment of this communication channel is a priority for the U.S. administration, with plans for Biden and Xi to speak by phone soon. The White House is also aiming for a meeting between the two leaders in November, as reported by NBC News.

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