Washington. November 19. INTERFAX - Officials from Washington and Beijing have reached agreements to launch high-level communication channels between the US and Chinese militaries, Bloomberg reports, citing a source familiar with the situation.
According to the agency's interlocutor, during a virtual summit with US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to support such channels of the US military with high-ranking officials from China, including the vice-chairman of the Central Military Council of China.
The interlocutor of the agency noted that at the moment the White House is defining a strategy of approach to such interaction, including in the field of cybersecurity, space and nuclear weapons, as well as issues related to testing and deployment of weapons.
The source stressed that the exact format of interaction between the parties has not yet been determined.
Bloomberg notes that such agreements mark a "warming in relations between the two largest economies," which followed months of tension that intensified after the recent hypersonic weapons test conducted by China. Warnings from the Pentagon's intelligence agency about the rapid growth of the Chinese nuclear arsenal also contributed to the escalation of tensions.
On the eve of The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper, citing a Chinese official, reported that Washington insists on holding negotiations with Beijing on arms control, as China has rapidly expanded its nuclear potential.
At the same time, the interlocutor of the publication noted that the parties can start an appropriate dialogue at the initial level, that is, with the participation of non-governmental defense analysts and academics.
According to an employee of the American administration, Biden and Xi Jinping had previously agreed to expand negotiations on stratostability within the framework of the virtual summit. At the same time, the Chinese side did not mention this in the document following the leaders' meeting.
