TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China has told its military not to fire the first shot in a standoff with the United States in the South China Sea, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported Tuesday (Aug. 11).
In early July, the Pentagon reportedly suggested a phone conversation between the two defense ministers, and after an initial snub from Beijing, China nevertheless changed its mind and agreed to the talk between Mark Esper and Wei Fenghe (魏鳳和) on Aug. 6.
China wanted to avoid an escalation of tension to the point where the situation spun out of control, according to the SCMP. In public, Beijing used harsh language about U.S. reconnaissance missions and about the presence of aircraft carriers USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, while it sent its own aircraft and vessels close to Taiwan.
In order to avoid accidental clashes, China let the U.S. know via various channels that its pilots and navy officers would never be the first to fire during a confrontation, the SCMP reported.
The Hong Kong-based newspaper said senior Chinese diplomats had begun to soften their language, trying to avoid rising tension as the U.S. prepares for its presidential election in November.