A woman uses her mobile phone as she walks in front of a large screen showing a news broadcast about China's military exercises encircling Taiwan, in Beijing on August 4, 2022.

A woman uses her mobile phone as she walks in front of a large screen showing a news broadcast about China's military exercises encircling Taiwan, in Beijing on August 4, 2022. Photo by Noel Celis / AFP) (Photo by NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images

Policy

In ‘Irresponsible Act,’ China Trims Defense Communications with US

White House decries reduction in discussion channels at a time of rising tensions.

Tara Copp

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Tara Copp
By Tara Copp
Senior Pentagon Reporter, Defense One

The Chinese government announced Friday that it was severing its lines of communication with the United States on defense, climate, and other diplomatic issues in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. 

Beijing’s move was an “irresponsible act” amid its recent escalation of missile launches and other military activity, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters during a phone briefing on Friday. “At a time of tension, and things are certainly tense, you want to be able to talk.”

China continued its intensified military response to Pelosi’s visit Friday, sending 68 fighter aircraft and 13 warships into the Taiwan Strait. In response, Taiwan’s ministry of foreign affairs tweeted, “This dangerous escalation of the military threat is wrecking peace and stability in the region and must be condemned.” 

China also severed its cooperation with the U.S. on climate change and sanctioned Pelosi in response to the visit. 

Kirby said that the White House believes some U.S.-China military-to-military lines of communication remained open. 

“We still believe that we'll be able to communicate military-to-military at very senior levels,” Kirby said. “These channels that they took down don't completely eliminate the opportunities for senior members of our military to talk if need be. And even at the tactical level.” 

With so much activity surrounding Taiwan, Kirby said, the ability for the two great powers to talk was essential for preventing tensions between the two from accidentally turning into a direct conflict. 

“Quite frankly, there’s no reason for a crisis to erupt out of this,” Kirby said.

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