The Pentagon’s most senior China official has met his Chinese counterpart for the first time since he flew to Taiwan in February on a secret trip that derailed top-level military talks between the two men.
Michael Chase, the top US defence official for China policy, recently met Major General Liu Zhan, the Chinese defence attaché in Washington, according to people familiar with the meeting, including a US defence official. The meeting occurred before the summit between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in San Francisco last month.
The meeting suggests the US and China are making some progress towards improving relations between their militaries after Beijing closed formal communication channels in August 2022 after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.