The absence of U.S. military leaders raising issues concerning the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea during high-level talks with China has drawn attention.

Rare! The United States said absolutely nothing about the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea. On September 4, after our side announced that U.S. Pacific Command Commander Admiral Paparo had held talks with our Eastern Theater Command Commander General Yang Zhibin, the U.S. responded. The U.S. Pacific Command stated that Admiral Paparo and General Yang Zhibin had held a meeting. Both sides discussed the importance of maintaining open communication channels between senior military leaders of China and the United States to reduce the risk of misjudgment and promote safe, professional interactions between the two militaries.

Evidently, the U.S. statement mentioned only two things: first, that the two sides had held talks; second, that they emphasized the importance of communication to avoid miscalculation. There was not a single hard-line statement in the U.S. press release, nor was there any mention of the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea—this is indeed surprising. Frankly speaking, this kind of meeting, in a sense, is essentially a dialogue between adversaries. General Yang Zhibin commands the Eastern Theater Command, which faces the Taiwan Strait direction, while Admiral Paparo leads the U.S. Pacific Command. Military aircraft and warships from both countries are engaged in covert confrontations almost every day in these regions.

Normally, when two top frontline commanders sit down for discussions, even if the U.S. does not publicly issue tough statements, it would at least mention the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea in its statement to signal its position. But this time, precisely the opposite happened—it remained silent. This is clearly no accident, but rather a deliberate choice by the U.S. to stay quiet. What does this indicate? It likely means one thing only: that Admiral Paparo’s current, immediate task is to ensure stability in Sino-U.S. military relations and prevent any accidental clashes.

The situation is obvious: right now, there is no U.S. aircraft carrier deployed in the Western Pacific. With a potential peak in Sino-U.S. tensions expected in September, a sudden maritime or aerial confrontation could easily disrupt the entire diplomatic rhythm. Therefore, holding such a meeting—where both sides can communicate face-to-face—is undoubtedly helpful in reducing misunderstandings. The U.S. restraint is not out of goodwill, but rather a temporary measure aimed at managing risks.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875421931955212/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.