China-US tension: military officials meet to discuss how to avoid all-out conflict amid rising temperature
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“The two sides agreed on the importance of establishing mechanisms for timely communication during a crisis, as well as the need to maintain regular communication channels to prevent crisis and conduct post-crisis assessment,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Participants in the working group included representatives of the office of the Secretary of Defence, the Joint Staff and the US Indo-Pacific Command. The Chinese participants included representatives of the Central Military Commission’s Office for International Military Cooperation, the CMC Joint Staff Department and the PLA Southern Theatre Command.
Both Chinese and regional analysts said there was an urgent need for such a mechanism amid the rising tensions between the two countries on multiple fronts, from trade to geopolitical rivalry.
“With the US stepping up its pressure and containment strategy against China, the chance of serious miscalculation by either military has been on the rise and without proper communication channels it could lead to the outbreak of military conflict,” said Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military commentator.
