What signal is being released?, Meeting with the Assistant Defense Minister of the United States as scheduled, rare visit by the Chinese Ambassador to the United States to the Pentagon | Chinese Ambassador to the United States

On the 12th local time in the United States, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng was invited to meet with US Assistant Secretary of Defense Ellie Ratner at the Pentagon, which was considered a "rare" and "unusual" meeting. Analysts believe that the US hopes to take advantage of the current high-level exchanges between China and the US to establish communication channels at the military level. However, the key to restoring normal military exchanges between China and the United States lies in whether the United States can take appropriate and correct actions.

"Meet as scheduled"

The Chinese Embassy in the United States and the US Department of Defense have both released news of Xie Feng's visit to the Pentagon.

In a press release from the Chinese Embassy in the United States, it was emphasized that Xie Feng was "invited to meet" with Ratner.

Xie Feng clarified his position on the military relationship between the two countries, demanding that the US take action to remove obstacles and control differences, handle important sensitive issues such as Taiwan with caution in accordance with the principles of the three joint communiqu é s between China and the US, and work towards China to gradually restore the military relationship between the two countries to the right track. Both sides also exchanged views on issues of common concern.

According to a brief statement by US Department of Defense spokesperson Martin Minas, Xie Feng and Ratner discussed a series of international and regional security issues. Ratner also emphasized that the Pentagon is committed to maintaining smooth communication between the Chinese and American militaries. Minas said that the meeting lasted about 90 minutes.

According to information on the Pentagon's official website, Ratna is the Assistant Secretary of Defense responsible for Indian Pacific security affairs. Prior to this, he served as the Director of the China Working Group of the Ministry of National Defense and Senior Advisor on China Issues to the Minister of National Defense. Reuters reported that Ratner is the highest official in the US Department of Defense responsible for Asian affairs.

In August last year, after the then Speaker of the US House of Representatives Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China took multiple countermeasures, including canceling the arrangement for communication between leaders of the Chinese and US military theaters, canceling the working meeting between the Chinese and US defense departments, canceling the meeting of the China US Maritime Military Security Consultation Mechanism, and so on. Since then, the US has been seeking to "restart" communication with senior Chinese military officials, including hoping to use the Shangri La Dialogue in June this year to achieve a meeting between US Defense Minister Austin and Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Li Shangfu. But the two defense chiefs only shook hands ceremoniously at the dinner party and did not hold any formal meetings.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense has previously stated that dialogue cannot be without principles, and communication cannot be without bottom lines. The current difficulties in military exchanges between the two sides are entirely the responsibility of the United States. On the one hand, the US insists on strengthening communication, but on the other hand, it disregards China's concerns and creates artificial obstacles, seriously undermining mutual trust between the two armies. This is not the attitude that should be devoted to communication.

Last month, Assistant Secretary of State Conda, who is responsible for East Asian and Pacific affairs, stated that military exchanges between China and the United States are unlikely to resume soon. He said that rebuilding these relationships has always been a problem because Chinese colleagues "are concerned that providing guarantees will to some extent encourage the United States to take additional actions that China does not want to see."

"Very unusual"

Sun Yun, the director of the Stimson Center's China project, told Reuters that the meeting between Xie Feng and Ratner was "quite unusual".

"The Chinese ambassador does not often meet with senior US defense officials. This seems to indicate that China is at least responding to US concerns, but making actual progress still requires time and negotiations," said Sun Yun.

The public opinion also noted that the Chinese Ambassador to the United States' rare visit to the Pentagon coincides with the strengthening of high-level contacts between China and the United States. For some time, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Yellen have visited Beijing one after another. The US President's climate envoy, John Kerry, will also visit China from July 16th to 19th. Subsequent US high-ranking officials visiting China may also include US Secretary of Commerce Raymond. According to other US media reports, it is expected that at least three Chinese ministerial level officials may visit the United States before October.

"To stabilize China US relations, Biden hopes for high-level diplomacy," The New York Times commented on this topic on the 11th. The article points out that China US relations have been in a dangerous state of free fall for several years. Biden believes that high-level dialogue itself can stabilize the relationship between the two countries. Moreover, as the 2024 US election approaches, political tensions within the US may intensify. The visit of several senior US officials to China aims to provide the two governments with an opportunity for candid dialogue before the election war intensifies.

Analysts say that Xie Feng's meeting with Ratner as agreed indicates the urgency of the US military in unfreezing Sino US relations. The US hopes to take advantage of the current high-level exchanges between China and the US to establish communication channels at the military level. However, the key to restoring normal military exchanges between China and the United States lies in whether the United States can take appropriate and correct actions.

It has been noted that although the U.S. side has shown the urgency of communicating with the Chinese military, it has not improved its actions-on June 29, local time, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of ammunition and logistical support to the Taiwan region; on July 13, a U.S. P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft sailed through the Taiwan Strait and openly speculated ...... All kinds of provocations touched China's core interests, leading to an escalation of regional tensions.

An analysis suggests that the atmosphere of China US relations has recently eased, but it is not a substantial improvement. The Biden administration has no intention of softening its stance on China in the high-tech and security fields. The US has also frequently dispatched ships and planes to conduct close reconnaissance of China for a long time, and the upcoming US investment restrictions on China are expected to test the newly emerging diplomatic contacts

The public opinion believes that many structural issues determine that the reconciliation of contradictions is not overnight, and it also determines that military diplomacy in sensitive areas remains "blank", and the strategic mutual trust between the two sides is insufficient. Since the US has taken the initiative to communicate with senior Chinese military officials, it should take practical actions to change erroneous practices and promote exchanges between the two sides on the premise of equality and respect.