US military theatre commander urges China rethink ‘tactics in South China Sea and beyond’
Experts say military communication between two countries advancing rapidly since Xi and Biden met in November, easing risk of confrontation
Wu Yanan, commander of the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command, and Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, had “an in-depth exchange of views on issues of common concern” on Tuesday morning, China’s defence ministry said.
Experts said the call showed military communication between the two countries had rapidly advanced and was easing the risk of confrontation since the Chinese and US presidents met in November.
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US Indo-Pacific Command said Paparo reinforced “the PLA’s obligation to comply with international laws and norms to ensure operational safety”, and urged the PLA to “reconsider its use of dangerous, coercive and potentially escalatory tactics in the South China Sea and beyond”.
Paparo added that he hoped such discussions could continue, according to the readout.
Senior officials from both countries have said on several occasions they could resume communication mechanisms at the theatre command level.
The resumption of such dialogue was also agreed when Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden met in San Francisco in November.
