Washington [US], November 2 (ANI): United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that he had a productive meeting with China’s Minister of National Defense, Admiral Dong Jun, in Malaysia, during which both sides agreed to strengthen communication and maintain stability in bilateral relations.
In a post on X, Hegseth wrote, “I just spoke to President Trump, and we agree — the relationship between the United States and China has never been better. Following President Trump’s historic meeting with Chairman Xi in South Korea, I had an equally positive meeting with my counterpart, China’s Minister of National Defense Admiral Dong Jun, in Malaysia. And we spoke again last night.”
Hegseth stated that he and Admiral Dong agreed that “peace, stability, and good relations” are vital, emphasizing that President Trump’s “G2 meeting” set the tone for lasting US-China peace and success.
“The Admiral and I agree that peace, stability, and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries. As President Trump said, his historic ‘G2 meeting’ set the tone for everlasting peace and success for the US and China,” Hegseth added.
The US Secretary of War further noted that the Department of War would continue to promote peace and that both nations agreed to establish military-to-military communication channels.
“The Department of War will do the same — peace through strength, mutual respect, and positive relations. Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise. We have more meetings on that coming soon. God bless both China and the USA!” Hegseth wrote.
Hegseth’s statement follows US President Donald Trump’s remarks on Sunday describing his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “a great one” that would bring lasting peace and success for both countries.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “My G2 meeting with President Xi of China was a great one for both of our countries. This meeting will lead to everlasting peace and success. God bless both China and the USA!”
Trump met Xi on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Following their discussions, Trump announced a landmark one-year trade agreement with China that reduces US tariffs on Chinese imports from 57 percent to 47 percent.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed, “We have a deal,” referring to the trade pact that will be routinely extended. “Every year we’ll renegotiate the deal, but I think the deal will go on for a long time, long beyond the year. We’ll negotiate at the end of the year,” he said.
Trump also noted that the 10 percent tariff reduction on Chinese exports to the US came after Beijing agreed to take “strong action” on the fentanyl issue. “It was 57, now it’s 47,” Trump said. “We reduced it because I believe they are really taking strong action. We’ve already seen the action on fentanyl, and they’re taking very strong action,” he added.
Later, Trump announced that China had committed to immediately purchasing “large and tremendous amounts” of soybeans and other US farm products as part of the trade deal.
During a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump called the move a “very nice gesture” from President Xi, noting that the Chinese leader had authorized the purchases a day earlier.
“We’re in agreement on so many elements. Large amounts — tremendous amounts — of soybeans and other farm products are going to be purchased, starting immediately. If you notice, President Xi authorized yesterday for China to start buying very large quantities of soybeans and other things, which I appreciated. That was a very nice gesture,” Trump said.
According to CNN, China had halted purchases of US soybeans in May after Trump announced tariffs, leaving American farmers with billions of dollars’ worth of unsold crops and prompting questions about the administration’s trade policies. (ANI)
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