WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd February, 2023) The United States has held working-level talks with People's Republic of China (PRC) military officials, but no engagements have occurred among senior leadership, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said during a press briefing.
"We have had working-level communications between the Defense Department and PRC counterparts, both in Washington and in Beijing, but we have not had leader-level communications despite US requests," Ratner said on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he would continue to encourage open lines of communication between the US and PRC militaries despite high-level engagements halting after the United States shot down an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon.
The incident prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese officials, although the State Department has said it plans to proceed with the visit when conditions allow.
