After a long period of rising tensions between the U.S. and China, the world may finally be seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. On 18 October, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his Chinese counterpart Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe met in Singapore. The purpose of this meeting seems to have been a first attempt at improving ties between the two countries, as relations between them seem to be spiraling out of control—both militarily and economically.
Mattis and Wei Fenghe met on the sidelines of an international security conference taking place in Singapore. Both officials wanted to grab the opportunity to normalize military relations. According to reports, Mattis told Wei that improved high-level relations between their countries will “reduce the risk” of unintentional conflict. Pentagon official Randall Schriver told reporters after the longer-than-expected 90-minute meeting that the Defense Secretary “repeated our desire for a durable relationship that is a stabilizing force in the overall [US-China] relationship.” Following the talks, U.S. officials said they sensed relations with China’s military had “stabilized,” although the talks did not produce new concrete agreements.
Military relations between Washington and Beijing had deteriorated in recent weeks. The recent tensions that began in a trade war, have spilled out into the military arena. In September, the U.S. sanctioned China’s military for buying weapons from Russia. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo imposed sanctions on the Chinese military’s Equipment Development Department and its director, Li Shangfu, for purchasing Su-35 combat aircraft and a S-400 surface-to-air missile system from Russia. The penalties were applied under a law that requires the U.S. to sanction anyone undertaking significant transactions with certain people affiliated with Russian intelligence and military services. Beijing’s long and calculated project of creating military outposts throughout the South China Sea has also become a major contentious issue. China on its part now sees all routine U.S. activity in the area, such as training by Air Force bombers, as provocations. The most recent manifestation of the conflict came last week when a U.S. Navy research vessel docked in Taiwan. Taiwanese media reported that the USS Thomas G. Thompson arrived in the southern port of Kaohsiung on 15 October to refuel and make crew changes. Despite Taiwan’s Defense Minister Yen De-fa declaring the visit as “unrelated to military activity,” China was outraged. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said his country was “expressing our solemn concerns to the US side” over the visit. Taiwan-American relations, of course, have always been a sore spot for China, and has become an even more pronounced issue ever since Donald Trump took office. The recently reached deal between the U.S. and Taiwan on a $330 million overhaul of Taiwan’s F-16 fleet is still being protested vigorously by the People’s Republic of China.
On the backdrop of all this, the meeting between Mattis and Wei is a welcomed development. It seems that both countries are hoping for some subsequent follow-up. The fast approaching G20 summit next month may provide that opportunity. There are already reports that President ,Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to meet at the event to be held in Buenos Aires. This would be the first face-to-face meeting between the two in nearly a year. The mere fact that these reports are even circulating is itself a strong indication that both leaders are ready for a bit of de-escalation.
