US and China agree to set up direct military communication channels

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that Washington and Beijing would establish military-to-military communications channels, adding that bilateral ties between the countries have “never been better.”

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Hegseth said he spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, late Saturday on the sidelines of a regional security meeting and that they agreed that “peace, stability and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries.”

His remarks posted on X came hours after he urged Southeast Asian nations to stand firm and strengthen their maritime forces to counter China's increasingly “destabilizing” actions in the South China Sea.

“China’s sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea fly in the face of their commitments to resolve disputes peacefully,” Hegseth said at a meeting with his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday.

“We seek peace. We do not seek conflict. But we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else," he added.

The South China Sea remains one of Asia’s most volatile flashpoints. Beijing claims almost the entire region, while ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim ownership of coastal areas and features. The Philippines, a key U.S. ally, has had frequent clashes with China’s maritime fleet.