The United States and China have agreed to reopen top-level military communication channels to help prevent potential conflicts, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced after meeting Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.
The two nations will restore military hotlines that Beijing suspended in 2022 following then–House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Hegseth said the move aims to “deconflict and deescalate” any issues that arise, adding that further meetings are planned. The agreement follows last week’s trade deal between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, which helped ease economic tensions.
Despite the thaw, Hegseth urged Southeast Asian nations to bolster maritime defenses against what he described as “China’s aggression” in the South China Sea, while Beijing emphasised its expectation that Washington will not attempt to contain China or support Taiwanese independence.
