China’s People’s Liberation Army hails ‘constructive’ talks with US, but accuses Pentagon budget bill of branding it a ‘threat’

A spokesman for the Chinese military says last week’s talks between senior commanders were a ‘step towards the resumption of military dialogue’

But the PLA’s spokesman said Washington must ‘realise the severe harm of the China-related content’ in the latest National Defence Authorisation Act

Reading Time:2 minutes

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping discussed the resumption of military talks at their summit in California last month. Photo: AP

Published: 9:20pm, 28 Dec 2023Updated: 9:35pm, 28 Dec 2023

Last week’s conversation between top Chinese and American military leaders was “positive and constructive” in restoring high-level dialogue between the two militaries, the People’s Liberation Army said on Thursday.

However, the PLA’s spokesman, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, hit out at Washington’s new National Defence Authorisation Act, which contains a series of measures to counter China, and accused the US of treating China as a “military threat”.

Wu told a press briefing in Beijing that last week’s video call between General Charles Brown, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his Chinese counterpart General Liu Zhenli was “a step towards the resumption of military dialogue”.

He said the two sides had exchanged “candid and in-depth views” following last month’s meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in California, where they agreed to resume high-level military dialogues as part of an effort to reduce friction amid growing tensions over issues such as technology, trade, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The conversation between Liu and Brown on Thursday last week was the first of its kind since Beijing cut off high-level military communications in August last year in protest at a visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, the then House speaker, which Beijing viewed as a major breach of its sovereignty.

Wu said: “We expect the US side to walk with us towards the same goal and take concrete actions on the basis of equality and mutual respect to promote a sound and steady development of the China-US military-to-military relationship.”