Top Chinese and U.S. military officials have recently decided to sit down and try to mend fences in order to cool down the growing tension between two of the world's superpowers. Over the span of the past few months, near misses and provocative actions have marred the military relation of China and the United States. Some observers even went as far as saying that it will only take a small incident to spark a global war between the two superpowers.
In a recent meeting, United States Defense Secretary James Mattis told the Chinese Defense Ministry Wei Fenghe that the North American country want to seek a "durable relationship" between their two countries. Mattis' statement came as a cooling agent to the growing tension between China and the United States.
For several years now, China has been busy building military facilities and deploying various troops in the South China Sea, an action that has caught the ire of the United States. On the part of the United States, China has also raised caution about the formers sale of military hardware to Taiwan. And to rub salt into the wound, China and the United States have been recently embroiled in a bitter trade war as the latter tries to curb the unprecedented economic rise of the Asian powerhouse.
Pentagon Assistant Secretary for Asia Randall Schriver described the recent meeting as a "reengagement" and "reestablishment" of high-level communications between the two countries. Mr. Schriver briefed a handful of reporters in Singapore for 90 minutes.
Tensions over the South China Sea have been especially high during this recent months. Earlier this month, a Chinese vessel had a naval altercation with a U.S. destroyer near the highly disputed Spratly Islands. According to China's defense ministry, the American destroyer went inside a restricted area. On the other hand, the U.S. destroyer claim that it is sailing on maritime waters.
A week later, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visit China and met with his counterpart, Wang Yi. The two diplomats discussed a lot of topics, among them the issue of North Korea. After the meeting, Pompeo said that China and the United States are locked in a "fundamental disagreement" regarding a wide range of issues, most crucial of which is each countries' stance over sanctions on North Korea.
It is important to note that while President Donald Trump continues to be antagonistic towards China, the Pentagon, the country's military arm, continues to act as the voice of reason and moderation when it comes to dealing with the Asian superpower.
