Chinese and Australian militaries revive suspended defence talks as tensions rise
The dialogue, last held in 2019, comes a week after Beijing accuses Australia of intruding into its airspace during South China Sea patrol
The 23rd China-Australia Defence Strategic Dialogue took place in Beijing on Monday in the first such talks since 2019.
The dialogue – the top annual forum for discussion between the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Australian Department of Defence – has been in place since 1997 but was suspended starting in 2020.
“The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the relations between the two countries and two militaries, regional security and other issues of common concern,” China’s defence ministry said of the talks on Monday.
Both parties “agreed to continue strengthening strategic communication in the defence field, properly handle disputes and differences, and carry out exchanges and cooperation”, the statement from Beijing added.