Hegseth: US, China to open ‘military-to-military’ coms after Trump-Xi meeting
Trump announces China trip for April
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The United States and China plan to establish military-to-military communication channels to “resolve conflicts and reduce tensions,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said after meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Saturday.
In a post on
During their remarks, the two defense leaders agreed that the best path forward for the United States and China is “peace, stability and good relations.”
“Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should establish military-to-military channels to resolve emerging issues and reduce tensions. We will have more meetings on this soon. God bless both China and the United States!” Hegseth wrote in part.
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the US and China would open “military-to-military” channels to prevent conflicts, following a positive meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun. (Both: HASNOOR HUSSAIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier on Saturday, Hegseth attended a separate meeting in Malaysia with defense leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and urged them to push back against Beijing’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
“China’s extensive territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea conflict with its commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” Hegseth said at the meeting, according to the Associated Press.
“We are looking for peace. We are not looking for conflict. But we have to make sure that China is not trying to dominate you or anyone else,” he added.
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The South China Sea remains unstable, with Beijing, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei claiming overlapping territory.
A Chinese Coast Guard ship is seen closely shadowed by a convoy of Filipino fishing boats and a Philippine Coast Guard ship on May 16, 2024. (Martin San Diego for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
China’s naval fleet frequently clashes with the Philippines in disputed waters; Chinese officials have recently described the country as a “troublemaker” holding naval and air exercises with the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Hegseth defended the US ally at the meeting on Saturday, saying Beijing’s designation of the Scarborough Shoal area, seized from the Philippines in 2012, as a “nature reserve” was “yet another attempt to push new and expanded territorial and maritime claims at its own expense.”
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The Secretary of War then called on ASEAN to finalize the Code of Conduct with China and proposed creating a “joint maritime domain awareness” network and rapid response systems to deter provocations; He said these measures would “ensure that any member facing aggression and provocation is not alone.”
Two Philippine Air Force FA-50 fighter jets fly alongside two U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers during joint patrol and training over the South China Sea on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025. (Philippine Air Force via AP)
Hegseth also welcomed plans for an ASEAN-US naval exercise in December aimed at strengthening coordination and protecting freedom of navigation.
