National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that such talks would “reduce miscalculations and misunderstandings.”
At the same time, Kirby noted that the reason for the delay may be that China has not yet appointed a successor to General Li Shangfu, who was removed as Chinese Defense Minister in October. Lee was Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin’s negotiating partner.
Kirby said the Biden administration hopes contacts between the two countries’ militaries will be comprehensive and include both senior leaders and commanders in specific geographic regions where conflicts are occurring.
Over the past year, the US and Chinese militaries have found themselves in several dangerous situations in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed at a summit in November to resume military contacts that were suspended after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in August. 2022. China considers democratically governed Taiwan part of its territory.
Taiwan said on Friday that 12 Chinese fighter jets and a suspicious weather balloon crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, raising tensions a month before Taiwan’s presidential election.
They will take place on January 13 and the White House will closely monitor their progress.
