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China’s military
ChinaMilitary

China-US relations: navy dialogue depends on status of American delegation, military analysts say

  • The Western Pacific Naval Symposium will be held in Qingdao in April, the first time China has hosted for a decade
  • ‘If they do not send officials of the corresponding level, it will show that they are not sincere,’ says former PLA instructor of US side

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China’s PLA Navy hosted the working group meeting of the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium in preparation for the symposium in April. Photo: Weibo/@PLA Navy
William Zheng

The United States could push bilateral military dialogues to a new level by sending a highly ranked delegation to a Chinese naval symposium, according to military analysts.

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For the first time in 10 years the Chinese navy is hosting the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao and observers note that the rank of the American delegation will affect “meaningful discussions”.
In April 2014, when Sino-US relations were more amicable, the US sent its top navy brass – including Jonathan Greenert, then the US chief of naval operations, and Harry Harris Jnr, who was commander of the US Pacific Fleet – to attend the meeting.

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But bilateral military dialogue ceased after US House speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022. The visit by a senior US political figure angered Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary, and such moves as a challenge to its sovereignty.

While most countries, including the US, do not recognise the self-governed island as independent, Washington is opposed to any attempt to take Taiwan by force and is committed to arming it.

The US might send a “relatively high, but not top-level” delegation to the Qingdao symposium, according to Zhou Bo, a retired PLA senior colonel and a senior fellow at the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University.

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“We should note that the military-to-military relations between China and the United States have just been restored and are still in the process of recovery,” Zhou said, suggesting the US might send officials ranked “below the secretary of the navy” to attend.

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