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China tells US to ‘walk the talk’ to improve dialogue between militaries
- Defence ministry also warns that America’s Indo-Pacific strategy is ‘pulling the region down a dangerous path’
- US requests for meetings have reportedly been rejected by Beijing because diplomatic protocol wasn’t followed
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China’s defence ministry on Thursday said the United States should show “sincerity” about improving communication between their militaries after reports that US attempts to set up talks were rejected by Beijing.
The defence ministry also warned that America’s Indo-Pacific strategy was “pulling the region down a dangerous path”, with the US stepping up reconnaissance against China and a recent close encounter between their warships.
Tensions have been rising between China and the US over everything from human rights to military activity in Taiwan and the South China Sea, and there are growing fears of a possible armed conflict between the two superpowers.
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US defence officials say the military relationship is strained and that they have long sought to open lines of communication with their Chinese counterparts to mitigate a potential crisis.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has reportedly tried several times to set up talks with Xu Qiliang, China’s top general, but his requests were rebuffed by Beijing on the grounds that the US had overstepped diplomatic protocol.
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