The unusual exchange occurred after Admiral John Aquilino warned about China’s subversion of the international order.
The unusual exchange occurred after Admiral John Aquilino warned about China’s subversion of the international order.
A People’s Liberation Army officer delivered an unexpected, three-minute-long rebuttal to remarks made by the top U.S. commander in the Indo-Pacific, Admiral John Aquilino, at a Manhattan event yesterday evening. The exchange, while cordial, was highly unusual and came amid the U.S. military’s efforts to establish lines of communication with senior Chinese officers, who have been far more reluctant to hold talks.
The exchange followed a speech Aquilino delivered, in which he described Beijing’s trampling of international norms through its militarization of the South China Sea and aggressive territorial claims across the region.
Aquilino’s speech criticized China’s drive to reshape the global order into an “adjusted rules-based international order with Chinese characteristics.” He added that Beijing is laying the foundation for that through its Global Security Initiative, its Global Development Initiative, and its Global Civilization Initiative.
The U.S. admiral also expressed frustration over the fact that, despite having “repeatedly requested to speak with my counterparts in the PLA,” those requests “have yet to be approved.” He also warned about “an increasing number of dangerous and escalatory actions against the U.S. and our allies and partners,” citing a case from last December when a Chinese jet flew within 20 feet of a U.S. reconnaissance plane, nearly causing a midair collision.
But Aquilino also emphasized that conflict between the U.S. and China is neither imminent nor inevitable, and that his primary goal is to prevent a war. In underscoring the importance of protecting the international order, he revealed that the U.S. military had assisted the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Sudan during the recent unrest there. “This is precisely the type of operation that the rules-based order facilitates,” he said.
The National Committee on U.S.–China Relations, a nonprofit group that regularly convenes senior Chinese-government officials and U.S. academic and business communities, hosted yesterday’s event. After NCUSCR president Stephen Orlins opened the floor to audience questions, he acknowledged Major General Zhongliang Yin, who serves as China’s lead envoy to the U.N.’s military-related committees.
Yin then delivered comments responding to Aquilino’s speech, taking issue with his characterization of Chinese military aggression. “Honestly, I do not agree with your perspective on many issues you expressed right now,” he said, adding that while he doesn’t believe that the event was the venue to discuss each issue point by point, he wanted to “clarify” China’s policy in Asia.
“China is committed to promoting peace and stability in the region. It follows the path of peaceful development and mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. Pursuing cooperation with all countries on the basis of five principles of peaceful coexistence,” Yin continued, appearing to read from his notes. “As an important member of the Asian Pacific family, China is fully aware that our peaceful development is closely linked with the future of the whole Asia Pacific area,” he added.
“I want to emphasize that China has committed itself to work with the United States to build stable relations featuring non-conflict, like what you said, admiral, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and mutual[ly] beneficial relations,” Yin said, before concluding with a question about how the U.S. sees China as a competitor.
Aquilino thanked the Chinese officer for his comments and said, “I agree with virtually everything that you articulated. I would love to see that demonstrated.”
“I think that we could have a conversation. I’m actually excited to have a conversation with the Southern Theater commander, Eastern Theater commander, and Northern Theater commander on how we can ensure we operate safely,” Aquilino continued, referring to the Chinese officers who have not responded to his calls.
Senior military officials told National Review that while they were not aware in advance that Yin would be present at the event, his participation had no bearing on the discussion, as Aquilino had expected the Chinese media to attend or watch the event online.
The unplanned exchange took place as the Biden administration aggressively seeks more high-level dialogue with senior Chinese officials, who have repeatedly demanded that Washington make policy concessions to secure the talks.
This week, the arrival of a new Chinese ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, as well as a reportedly planned meeting between Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao, indicate that a “thaw” in the relationship, predicted this weekend by President Biden, is under way.