Kuala Lumpur, 2 November (H.S.): United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun have agreed to re-establish direct military-to-military communication channels to prevent and manage potential conflicts, it was announced Saturday.

The agreement was reached during a meeting on the sidelines of a regional summit in Malaysia.The talks followed a recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

In a post on the social media platform X, Hegseth stated he had spoken with President Trump, who agreed that the relationship between the United States and China has never been better.

Hegseth added that he and Admiral Dong agreed that peace, stability, and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries. He emphasized a path forward based on strength, mutual respect, and positive relations.

The Admiral and I agree that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise, Hegseth said, noting that more meetings on the matter are scheduled to happen soon.

While such communication links have existed for years, they have often become inactive during periods of high tension.A readout from the Chinese defense ministry stated that Dong had told Hegseth the two nations should strengthen policy-level dialogue to enhance trust and dispel uncertainty.

He also called for building a bilateral military relationship characterised by equality, respect, peaceful coexistence and stable positive momentum.

The agreement marks a significant step toward reducing military tensions, which have previously flared over issues such as China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and the status of Taiwan. Earlier this year, Hegseth had warned that China was credibly preparing to use military force in Asia, a comment that drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar