China and US soften tone despite tensions

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis during a meeting with Chinese leaders. Photo: AP

This is Mr. Mattis's first visit to China since he took office as head of the Pentagon. He met with President Xi Jinping and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.

In public comments, the two sides avoided mentioning topics that have caused tension in bilateral relations, including the Taiwan issue, China's militarization of the East Sea and North Korea's nuclear program.

Instead, the two sides focused on the importance of the US-China military relationship, which President Xi Jinping, who is also chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, the top command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said was “a typical component of a comprehensive bilateral relationship.” US officials described the talks as frank but successful.

“Areas of disagreement were identified but not necessarily delved into,” said Randy Schriver, assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, who also attended meetings with Chinese officials.

According to him, when areas of disagreement were raised, Mr. Mattis made clear the US position, including public opposition to China's militarization of the East Sea. This official said: "A country cannot be allowed to limit the right of international patrols, which are regulated in international waters."

Mr. Schriver added that the issue of North Korea was raised in each meeting, with both sides agreeing on the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, as well as the need to support UN Security Council resolutions sanctioning North Korea.

The Pentagon chief's visit comes at a time when the threat of a trade war looms between the world's two largest economies.

Trade was also raised, but was not the focus of the talks, according to Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White. “What was most talked about was the desire to build a strong military-to-military relationship as a stabilizing factor in the overall relationship,” White said.