U.S. Secretary of Defense and Commander of Intae Command to visit China... Focus on expanding U.S.-China military exchanges

It has been raised that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Samuel Puffaro, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, may visit China in the near future.

As the United States and China expand communication to prevent military conflict, attention is being paid to whether high-level military exchanges will begin in earnest.

According to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 8th, Stephen Olins, Chairman of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSCR), attended the 'Global Maritime Cooperation and Maritime Governance Forum' held in Sanya, Hainan Province, China on the 6th by video and mentioned the possibility of the two people visiting China.

Chairman Olins said, "I understand that Minister Hegseth and Commander Puffaro may visit China soon. Their visit will help to regularize communication between the military authorities of the two countries."

He urged the two countries to regularize military exchanges at all levels to prevent conflicts caused by military misjudgments, and to establish a system that can ease tensions through prompt communication even if conflicts occur.

In particular, Chairman Ollins pointed out that the risk of accidental military conflict between the United States and China is greater in the South China Sea than in the Taiwan Strait.

Citing sources, SCMP reported that the U.S. and China have discussed Secretary Hegseth's visit to China in recent months, and that there is a possibility that the visit will take place within the year.

It is known that after the US-China summit held in Washington in September, the possibility of a mutual visit between Secretary Hegseth and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun was also discussed.

Minister Hegseth visited Beijing during President Trump's state visit to China last May.

However, Minister Hegseth's future is uncertain as he is under pressure to be impeached after the Republican Party lost in the recent U.S. midterm elections.

This is because some in the Republican Party are also pushing for impeachment over the conduct of the war against Iran, and the Democratic Party is also preparing an investigation into the operation of the Department of Defense. However, President Trump still maintains confidence in him.

Additionally, if Commander Puffaro's visit to China goes through, it will be the first time the top military commander in the U.S. Pacific region visits China in about 11 years since 2015.

Zhu Feng, director of China's Nanjing University School of International Relations, told SCMP that Commander Puffaro's visit to China could serve as an opportunity to strengthen working-level communication between the military authorities of the United States and China.

The United States and China have recently been expanding communication to prevent military conflict.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, defense officials from both countries held the annual 'Crisis Communication and Prevention Working Group' meeting in Washington on the 2nd and 3rd and discussed ways to reduce military risks.

Previously, last August, Commander Furparo met with Yang Zhibin, Commander of the Eastern Theater of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, in Canada and discussed the importance of high-level communication to prevent military misjudgments.