A New Era of Military Diplomacy? Biden, Xi Push for Restored Relations

On February 17, 2012 (local time), then U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (right) and Xi Jinping, China’s Vice President, hold T-shirts gifted by students at the International Language Study Center in South Gate, California./AP·Yonhap News

The United States is pushing to restore military communication relations severed by China.

Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, revealed in an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation aired on the 12th (local time) that President Biden will push for the reconstruction of U.S.-China military relations at the summit with President Xi scheduled for the 15th in San Francisco, U.S.

U.S. President Joe Biden (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping are holding a summit at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on November 14, 2022 (local time)./AFP·Yonhap News

In response to the presenter’s question about how the restoration of U.S.-China military relations is actually proceeding in a situation where there is no official successor after the dismissal of Li Shangfu, China’s Defense Minister, Sullivan stated that the ‘reconstruction of military relations’ is a priority for President Biden. “He believes that communication between the militaries is necessary to manage competition responsibly and prevent it from escalating into conflict,” he answered.

Sullivan continued, “Such communication lines are necessary to prevent mistakes, miscalculations, and miscommunications,” and “It can take place at all levels, from the high command of the U.S. and Chinese defense departments to the tactical, operational level, in the maritime and aerial domains of the Indo-Pacific.”

He emphasized, “President Biden has decided to pursue this because he believes that the reconstruction of military and military relations serves the national security interests of the United States.”

Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor (left), and Wang Yi, member of the Chinese Central Political Bureau and Foreign Minister, are shaking hands at the White House in Washington D.C. on October 27 (local time)./Xinhua·Yonhap News

Sullivan also stated in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” that restoring U.S.-China military communication is President Biden’s “Top agenda item.” He said, “China has essentially severed these communication links,” and “President Biden wants to restore them.”

President Xi will visit San Francisco from the 14th to the 17th to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit (15th to 17th) and hold a summit with President Biden on the 15th. This is the second face-to-face summit between President Biden and President Xi after their meeting at the G20 summit held in Bali, Indonesia, on November 14 last year, and the seventh communication between the two leaders since the inauguration of the Biden administration in January 2021, including online meetings.

Regarding the agenda for this summit, a high-ranking U.S. official told Reuters that global issues ranging from the Israel-Hamas war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, relations with North Korea and Russia, issues in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, human rights, fentanyl production, artificial intelligence (AI), and fair trade and economic relations are expected to be discussed.

President Xi is also predicted to hold summits with South Korean presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his visit to the U.S.