Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pushing for a long-overdue revival of direct military communication between the United States and China—finally putting talk into action.
According to Politico, Hegseth and Chinese Defense Minister Adm. Dong Jun met last week in Malaysia during a regional summit to jumpstart efforts at establishing real-time, military-to-military channels to prevent crises in volatile hotspots like the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
The meetings took place on Thursday and Friday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-PLUS, where discussions focused on peace, stability, and cooperation—at least on paper.
Strategic Talks Aim To Break Past Gridlocks
Hegseth made it clear that open channels aren’t just a diplomatic nicety—they’re critical insurance against misunderstandings that could spark full-blown conflict. He stressed the need for a mechanism to “deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise.” Admiral Dong, parroting the Chinese defense ministry’s polished line, said the relationship should be built on “equality and respect, peaceful coexistence, and stable, positive development.” A fine sentiment—so long as it goes beyond carefully crafted statements and slick translations.
Despite supposedly warm words, China’s military hasn’t exactly been picking up the phone lately. In fact, Beijing refused to respond to media inquiries following last week’s meetings, a typical move for a regime that's selective about when transparency suits it.
Trump-Xi Meeting Sets a New Tone
Hegseth, for his part, was more bullish. He described the state of U.S.-China ties as having “never been better.”
He credited the recent meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea with creating “a tone for everlasting peace and success for the U.S. and China.” That’s no small statement in light of years of failed communication setups between the two superpowers. Indeed, history hasn’t been friendly to these efforts. The last meaningful attempt to establish reliable lines between Washington and Beijing was derailed after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial 2022 visit to Taiwan—Beijing’s temper tantrum in response led to the complete suspension of military contacts.
Decoding Diplomatic Theater From Real Change
Under the previous administration, a few dialogue tracks were reopened in 2024—theater commander engagements, defense policy coordination, maritime talks—but they never went beyond symbolic gestures. Most were limited, offered no real-time crisis capability, and were vulnerable to Beijing pulling the plug whenever it pleased.
That fragility hasn’t gone unnoticed. Hegseth’s push now appears aimed at establishing durable mechanisms with real teeth—not the paper-thin engagement of the past. The question is whether the Chinese side will actually commit, or just keep running the clock with empty formalities.
Nowhere is the urgency clearer than in the South China Sea, where Chinese ships continue to harass Philippine vessels. Combined with friction in the Taiwan Strait, the Indo-Pacific remains a pressure cooker—and direct lines between military commanders might just be the pressure valve that keeps it from blowing up.
Building Trust in an Unstable Region
Hegseth didn’t mince words with ASEAN ministers either. Warning them about China’s “sweeping territorial and maritime claims,” he urged the region not to fall under Beijing’s spell. “We must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else,” he said sharply.
That kind of straight talk is rare in rooms full of politely worded communiqués and nervous diplomatic smiles. It also signals a refreshing break from years of strategic ambiguity that allowed China to advance its ambitions while Western leaders played courtroom stenographers. Hegseth and Dong plan to hold more meetings in the coming weeks to iron out the terms of the potential hotline framework. Whether Beijing shows up to those meetings in the spirit of actual cooperation—or as a delay tactic—remains to be seen.
Resetting Priorities, Rethinking Strategy
Interestingly, this diplomatic drive comes as the Pentagon prepares to unveil a new National Defense Strategy. Early signals suggest a shift from hyper-fixation on China toward domestic and regional priorities—something everyday taxpayers have likely long welcomed. But that doesn’t mean the U.S. should drop its guard. Hegseth’s communications push has the potential to reduce risk, but it’s not a substitute for vigilance. No lines of dialogue can replace a clear-eyed recognition of what China's ambitions look like in practice.
For now, the effort is a cautious step in the right direction. But it’ll take more than intercoms and polite phrases to build real trust. Actions—not rehearsed platitudes—will tell us whether China’s actually interested in peace or just continuing its slow-motion expansion beneath the diplomatic radar.
