The United States and China have agreed to create new military-to-military communication channels aimed at preventing potential conflicts.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the deal following talks with his Chinese counterpart.
In a post on X, Hegseth said he had a “positive meeting” with Admiral Dong Jun, China’s Minister of National Defense.
It came shortly after President Donald Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
According to Hegseth, the two defense leaders discussed the need for peace and stability in the region and agreed to set up new communication mechanisms between the two militaries “to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise.”
“Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise,” Hegseth wrote.
“We have more meetings on that coming soon.
“God bless both China and the USA!”
Hegseth said the plan is intended to ensure that the world’s two largest powers can avoid unnecessary confrontation while maintaining open lines of communication on defense matters.
Hegseth Warns ASEAN Against China’s Expansion
Earlier in the day, Hegseth attended a separate meeting in Malaysia with defense leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
During the meeting, Hegseth urged regional allies to stand firm against Beijing’s growing aggression in the South China Sea.
Hegseth warned that China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims violated previous commitments to resolve disputes peacefully.
“China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea fly in the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
“We seek peace. We do not seek conflict.
“But we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else.”
The South China Sea remains one of the world’s most volatile flashpoints, with Beijing, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei all asserting overlapping territorial claims.
China’s maritime forces have repeatedly clashed with the Philippines in disputed waters, most recently after Chinese officials labeled Manila a “troublemaker” for conducting joint drills with the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
Pushing Back Against Coercion
Hegseth defended the Philippines during the meeting, criticizing Beijing’s designation of the Scarborough Shoal, a reef seized from Manila in 2012, as a “nature reserve.”
He said the move represented “yet another attempt to coerce new and expanded territorial and maritime claims at your expense.”
He also urged ASEAN to finalize its long-discussed Code of Conduct with China and proposed creating a “shared maritime domain awareness” network with rapid-response systems designed to deter provocations and ensure that “any member facing aggression and provocation is not alone.”
Hegseth further welcomed plans for a joint ASEAN–U.S. maritime exercise in December aimed at improving regional coordination and protecting freedom of navigation throughout Indo-Pacific waters.
READ MORE – Hegseth Demands Resignation of All ‘Woke’ Service Members Who Oppose ‘Warrior Ethos’
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