The US and China have agreed to establish direct military communication: what is known

The United States and China have agreed to establish direct military communication between their armed forces to avoid misunderstandings and potential conflicts. The decision was made during talks between the defense ministers of the two countries.

This was announced by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hegseta noted that he had spoken with Chinese Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun. According to him, the parties agreed on the need to establish channels of military cooperation to ensure de-escalation in the event of crisis situations.

“Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should establish channels of military cooperation to resolve conflicts and de-escalate any issues that arise,” Gegset said.

He added that both sides agreed: “peace, stability and good relations are the best way forward.”

Hegset clarified that representatives of the US and China will hold additional talks to agree on the technical and procedural aspects of launching direct communication between the armies.

The meeting between Hegset and Dong Jun took place in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, the day after President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

The next day, the Pentagon chief called on Southeast Asian countries to strengthen maritime cooperation to deter Beijing’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea.

As a reminder, US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held their first bilateral meeting in South Korea since Trump returned to the White House on October 30. The talks began at 4 a.m. Kyiv time and lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes. After the meeting, the heads of state left without making statements to the press.

US President Donald Trump later announced an agreement with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to temporarily lift export restrictions on rare earth metals, part of a broader year-long trade deal reached at a summit in South Korea.

According to Trump, the meeting was “incredible” and deserves a “12” on a scale of 0 to 10. The US President said that the parties agreed on “a set of important decisions” and the signing of the agreement is expected in the near future.