U.S. and China agree to resume military talks. Takeaways from the Biden-Xi summit

BEIJING — U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to resume high-level military communication, according to both countries.

The two leaders met in person for the first time in a year Wednesday local time in San Francisco on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.

«We're back to direct, open, clear communications,» Biden said at a press conference after the talks.

China has conducted military exercises around Taiwan, while its navy has been engaging in aggressive maneuvers in the South China Sea in a standoff with the Philippines as both countries stake their territorial claims.

The U.S. has wanted to revive the military communication, especially after some near-miss incidents where China's ships almost collided with American forces.

«Vital miscalculations on either side can cause real trouble with a country like China or any other major country,» Biden said at the post-meeting press briefing.

China's Defense Ministry declined a call with its U.S. counterpart in early February after the discovery of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over U.S. airspace. The balloon incident delayed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's highly anticipated trip to China by more than four months.

In June, the defense chiefs from both countries attended an annual security summit in Singapore, but they did not have a formal meeting.

When Blinken finally visited China, he said he «repeatedly» raised the need for direct communication between the two countries' militaries but failed to revive such talks.

China has yet to name a defense minister afterdismissing Gen. Li Shangfu from the position without explanation in late October.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will meet with his Chinese counterpart when the Chinese defense chief is selected, a senior Biden administration official told reporters after the Biden-Xi summit.

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