Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday that his dialogue with his Chinese counterpart is strong, and he hopes to make a visit to China this year as rhetoric between the two nations escalate tensions.
“We are not in search of conflict,” Esper said at a Monday webinar hosted by the London International Institute for Strategic Studies. “The [People’s Liberation Army] activities in the region are destabilizing, and they significantly increase the risk of miscalculation.”
Esper nonetheless said dialogue between Chinese and American military leaders is necessary.
“I personally have spoken to my [People’s Republic of China] counterpart on multiple occasions, and before the year is out, I hope to visit the PRC for the first time as secretary,” he said. “We are committed to a constructive and results-oriented relationship with China and within our defense relationship, to open lines of communication and risk reduction.”
Esper said his goals of such a visit are to enhance cooperation in areas of common interest and establish systems for crisis communication.
At an afternoon Pentagon press briefing, spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said visits to nonallies are important to maintaining military relationships.
“We believe that’s incredibly important to avoid misunderstanding in the future,” he said.
In recent weeks and months, tensions with China have risen, with crisscrossing accusations about the origin of the coronavirus pandemic and China’s aggressive actions in the South China Sea.
Esper underscored the U.S. position that China’s many maritime claims in the South China Sea are illegal, and the United States will continue to operate in the area to maintain freedom of the seas and assure allies.
“China’s bullying, coercion, their compellence of others, particularly smaller countries. It seems that your arm gets twisted harder, the smaller the country you are. So we want to continue to deter against coercive behavior,” he said. “We’re going to sail, fly, and operate anywhere that international law allows.”
The Pentagon said dates and deliverables have not yet been developed for the proposed trip but that the South China Sea-related issues will be on the agenda.
