(MENAFN) The United States and China have agreed to reopen high-level military-to-military channels following a bilateral meeting of their top defense officials in Malaysia, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said. The communications lines, a key mechanism to de-escalate tensions, were cut by Beijing in 2022 after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, which China views as part of its territory.

Under the Biden administration, limited military dialogue on the Indo-Pacific resumed last year, though broader channels remained inactive.

Hegseth met with Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, shortly after US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a trade deal that eased weeks of tensions from a trade war flare-up.

“Admiral Dong and I... agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise,” Hegseth wrote on X, adding, “We have more meetings on that coming soon.”

Despite this agreement, Hegseth also urged China’s neighbors to strengthen their maritime forces to counter what he described as “threats from China’s aggression,” accusing Beijing of “illegal activities” in the South China Sea—a region claimed by multiple countries.

Dong described his discussions with Hegseth as “successful,” according to Xinhua. He expressed hope that Washington will honor its commitments not to seek to “contain” China or pursue conflict, and to oppose any moves toward “Taiwan independence.”

The US officially adheres to the One-China policy but continues military cooperation with Taiwan, including supplying the island with arms.

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