Direct lines of communication between American and Chinese military forces will be reopened for the first time in more than a year, Joe Biden has announced. Speaking after a meeting with China 's premier Xi Jinping in California, the US president said the restoration of military-to- military communication s would help to prevent accidents that could spiral into wider conflicts.
Beijing formally suspended direct military contact with the US in April 2022 in the wake of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island of Taiwan - which China views as a breakaway province. The move to restart them was one of three agreements President Biden presented to the media following face-to-face conversations with President Xi on Wednesday - their first meeting in a year. When asked if he would still refer to the Chinese president as a 'dictator', Mr Biden said 'well he is... in a sense', adding that President Xi runs a 'communist country that's based on a form of government completely different' than the U
US China Military Communication Joe Biden Xi Jinping Taiwan Conflict Prevention