U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held a meeting with General Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC), in an effort to address tensions between China and U.S. treaty allies in the region. The CMC is China’s top military body, led by Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
According to a statement from the White House, Sullivan emphasized the importance of preventing competition between the two nations from escalating into conflict or confrontation. Both sides agreed on the significance of regular military-to-military communication as part of maintaining high-level diplomacy and open lines of communication.
This meeting is a rare engagement between China and the United States. The last time a U.S. national security advisor met with a CMC vice chairman in China was in 2016 when Susan Rice, from the Obama administration, met with Fan Changlong. Fan retired from the CMC in 2018.
Sullivan expressed his appreciation for this opportunity to engage with Zhang, highlighting its importance given the current state of affairs and the need for responsible management of U.S.-China relations.
During their discussion, Sullivan and Zhang addressed various issues including tensions between China and Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines; U.S.’ commitment to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea; holding a theater commander phone call soon; concerns about China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base; avoiding miscalculations and escalations in cyberspace; as well as peace and stability across Taiwan Strait.
Prior to meeting with Zhang, Sullivan had extensive talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday. During these talks, Wang asserted that ”Taiwan belongs to China” while urging the United States to cease arming Taiwan and support peaceful unification efforts by China.
In response to Wang’s claims during his discussions with Sullivan, Taiwan’s foreign ministry released a statement criticizing him for spreading fallacies about Taiwan during diplomatic talks.
The Philippines has also been protesting against what it perceives as dangerous maneuvers by Chinese vessels within its exclusive economic zones recognized under international law. Manila’s National Maritime Council has called for a review of its defense treaty with the United States due to security challenges posed by aggressive territorial claims made by China despite being rejected by international arbitration back in 2016.
Alexander Lopez, spokesperson for Manila’s National Maritime Council stated that engaging traditional allies along with newfound ones was part of their diplomatic actions against Chinese aggression in West Philippine Sea.
It remains crucial for both countries involved to manage these tensions effectively through dialogue while ensuring peace and stability within this region.