Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, gives a speech during the opening ceremony of the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province on April 22, 2024. Photo: AFP

Vice chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia on Thursday stressed the importance of China and the US to maintain stability in military and security fields in meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Beijing.

The meeting is seen as a step toward reducing communication barriers and preventing conflicts between the two countries, Chinese experts said.

Calling the two sides to implement the consensus reached by the two countries’ top leaders, Zhang said at the meeting that maintaining stability military and security fields not only aligns with the common interests of both countries, but also the expectation of the international community, according to a press release by China’s Ministry of National Defense on Thursday.

Zhang urged the US to join China’s efforts in mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

The US should calibrate its strategic understanding on China, reset toward a rational, pragmatic China policy, earnestly respect China’s core interests, promote military exchanges and communications with China and jointly shoulder responsibilities as major powers, Zhang said.

The Chinese senior military leader reiterated that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and the bedrock of the political foundation China-US relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.

China is always committed to safeguarding peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, but the “Taiwan independence” forces are incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits as fire and water, Zhang said, noting that resolutely countering “independence” and promoting reunification is the duty of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, and the Chinese military must take countermeasures against the “Taiwan independence” forces’ wanton provocation.

China demands the US to stop military collusion, stop arming the island and stop spreading false narratives related to the Taiwan question, Zhang said.

The meeting between Zhang and Sullivan came after a new round of candid, substantive and constructive China-US strategic communication between China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Sullivan in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Both China’s senior diplomatic and military officials met with Sullivan during his trip to China, demonstrating that China has the sincere will to engage in meaningful communication with the US over challenging issues and properly manage differences, Li Haidong, a professor from the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

As National Security Advisor, Sullivan plays both diplomatic and security roles, which bear the responsibility to enhance understanding and lay the groundwork for reducing communication barriers and avoiding conflicts through meetings with senior Chinese officials, Li said.