US interpretation: Hope this is a "signal" released by the Chinese side
According to a report by Taiwan's "Wang Bao" on September 1st, during the Singaporean Shangri La Dialogue in June this year, the defense ministers of China and the United States were unable to hold a bilateral meeting, and coupled with multiple requests from senior US military officials for phone calls being rejected, public opinion generally believes that military exchanges between China and the United States are in a state of interruption. Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian emphasized at a regular press conference on August 31 that military exchanges between China and the United States are not in a state of interruption, but dialogue cannot be without a bottom line.
Firstly, Wu Qian wants everyone to rest assured. He said, "The military exchanges between China and the United States are not in a state of interruption, and both sides maintain honest and effective communication through military diplomatic channels. However, it must also be acknowledged that there are indeed many difficulties and obstacles in the current military relationship, and this situation is entirely caused by the United States."
On the afternoon of August 31st, the Ministry of National Defense held a regular press conference, where Colonel Wu Qian, Director of the News Bureau and spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, answered questions from reporters.
"Communication cannot be without principles, and dialogue cannot be without bottom lines," Wu Qian said. "The US hopes to harm China's national interests while engaging in exchanges with the Chinese military as if nothing had happened, which is completely wishful thinking." Wu Qian demanded that the US take concrete actions to create conditions for the relationship between the two armies to return to normal.
In addition, it was reported on the website of Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao on September 1 that the Ministry of Defense of China confirmed that Xu Qiling, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff of the Central Military Commission, communicated with representatives of the United States in Fiji.
Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian said on August 31 that Xu Qiling led a delegation to Fiji from August 12 to 18 to attend the Indo Pacific Defense Forces Command Meeting. During the meeting, Xu Qiling communicated and exchanged ideas with representatives from multiple countries such as the United States, East Timor, Singapore, and Thailand.
This is the first time in public that senior military leaders from China and the United States have engaged in offline exchanges this year.
Reuters analysis on August 31st indicated that the US Pentagon stated on the same day that the Chinese delegation held a meeting with a senior US military official at a meeting earlier in August, which foreshadowed a possible thawing of military relations between the two countries.
![US interpretation: Hope this is a "signal" released by the Chinese side](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/d994f6bf5800893646e341de6821bfb9.jpg)
Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Reid told reporters that US Indo Pacific Command Commander John Aquilino met with Chinese military officials at a meeting held in Fiji earlier in August.
Senior military leaders from 27 countries attended the conference co hosted by the United States and Fiji.
"We will maintain open communication channels to reduce the possibility of misjudgments," Reid said at a press conference
Reid said he hopes this is a signal for more dialogue in the future.