U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, holds a news conference with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin following a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 15, 2022. R/Yves Herman
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WASHINGTON/BEJING, July 7 (R) – A senior Chinese military officer warned his US counterpart on Thursday that any “indiscriminate provocations” would be met with a “determined counter-strike” from China, but added that both sides are missing the dialogue and the Controls should reinforce risks.
The world’s two largest economies are at odds over a range of contentious issues, from the status of China-claimed Taiwan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to broader competition for influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Pentagon said US Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with China’s chief of the Joint Staff Department, Gen. Li Zuocheng.
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“Gene. Milley discussed the need to responsibly manage the competition and maintain open lines of communication,” Milley’s spokesman said in a statement.
“General Milley underscored the importance of substantive People’s Liberation Army dialogue to improve crisis communications and reduce strategic risk. The call also included a productive discussion on a range of regional and global security issues.”
China’s Defense Ministry quoted Li as saying the two militaries should maintain mutual respect and objectivity, further strengthen dialogue, control risks and promote cooperation “rather than intentionally creating confrontations and provoking incidents.”
China has no room for compromise or concessions on issues affecting its core interests, Li added.
“If someone provokes indiscriminately, it will inevitably be met with a resolute retaliation from the Chinese people.”
Li also reiterated a call for the United States to halt military ties with Taiwan and “avoid upsets in Sino-US relations and cross-strait stability.”
China’s military will resolutely defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added.
China has stepped up military activities around Taiwan to pressure the democratically elected government there to recognize Chinese sovereignty.
Taiwan’s government says only the island’s 23 million people can decide its future, and while it wants peace, it will defend itself if attacked.
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Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Additional coverage by Beijing Newsroom and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Grant McCool
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