TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo met with Gen. Yang Zhibin, commander of the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command, on the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Conference in Canada.
The conference was held in Victoria, British Columbia, from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. The Eastern Theater Command is responsible for operations involving Taiwan, per Japan Times.
US Pacific Command said in a statement that “the two leaders discussed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between senior US and Chinese military leaders to reduce the risk of miscalculation and promote safe and professional conduct between forces.”
The command added that it remains “committed to enhancing stability in the region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, and deterring aggression.”
The Chinese defense ministry said that its delegation “held bilateral meetings with representatives from the US, France, Singapore and other countries.”
Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, a ministry spokesperson, said, “The Chinese side delivered a keynote speech at the event, presenting China's stance and achievements in maintaining regional peace and stability, and proposing that regional countries enhance defense cooperation and jointly address common challenges.”
The meeting comes ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington on Sept. 24, when he is scheduled to hold talks with US President Donald Trump.
China has ramped up its gray-zone tactics around Taiwan this year. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said last month that Chinese ships had been tracked around Taiwan on 1,247 occasions since May. The growing activity has raised concerns that China could launch a maritime quarantine or full blockade by cutting off energy shipments and commercial shipping lanes, per AFP.
