By AFP and Focus | 2025-11-03

KUALA LUMPUR -- US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said Sino-US relations have "never been better" but insisted the two sides must strengthen military communication to avoid miscalculation in the Indo-Pacific.

In a post on X on November 1, Hegseth said he and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun agreed that "peace, stability and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries." He said both sides would work to set up links to "deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise."

Preventing accidental wars

Hegseth held talks on security with Dong on October 31 in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian regional defense summit, pressing for the two militaries to set up direct communication channels that could prevent disagreements in the Indo-Pacific from escalating into unintended conflict.

Hegseth described the meeting as "good and constructive" in another tweet. He said he had raised "the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific" and US concerns about China's activities "in the South China Sea, around Taiwan and toward US allies and partners."

The "United States does not seek conflict, it will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so," he wrote.

Disagreement on Taiwan

Beijing, in its readout, supported continued defense contacts but restated its position on Taiwan.

Dong told Hegseth the "unification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is an irresistible historical trend." He urged Washington to "take a clear-cut stance firmly opposing 'Taiwan independence,'" according to the readout.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said the two defense departments "should take concrete actions to implement the consensus reached by the heads of state." It said they should "strengthen policy-level dialogue to enhance trust and dispel uncertainty," and build a military relationship "characterized by equality, respect, peaceful coexistence and stable positive momentum."

Hegseth told reporters the US position on Taiwan "remains unchanged," and said President Donald Trump had stated the same. Under its long-standing policy, Washington recognizes Beijing but provides Taiwan with weapons for self-defense. That policy allows the United States to keep operating in the area while it seeks or conducts talks with the People's Liberation Army.

Friction at sea

US officials say the push to reactivate military contacts is driven by rising friction at sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea despite overlapping claims from its neighbors, including the Philippines, a US treaty ally. The US Navy has continued "freedom of navigation" operations, which have angered Beijing. China has increased efforts to block or harass Philippine government vessels.

In September, the Philippine government said one person was wounded when a Chinese coast guard vessel used a water cannon that shattered a window on the bridge of a Philippine fisheries bureau ship near Scarborough Shoal. China seized control of the shoal from the Philippines after a 2012 standoff.

Meeting Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro in Kuala Lumpur, Hegseth said Washington shared Manila's "concerns about China's coercion in the South China Sea, particularly recently in the Scarborough Shoal."

Teodoro called China's actions "illegal," saying areas claimed by Beijing were "deep within our Exclusive Economic Zone and historically known as part of the Philippines."

Military talks between the United States and China stalled in 2022 after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Efforts to revive them have been uneven. With more US and Chinese ships and aircraft operating in the same areas, around Taiwan and in the South China Sea, the Pentagon says it wants reliable channels in place before the next encounter.