WASHINGTON - US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with China’s defense minister on April 16, the first engagement the two have had in over a year as the two countries seek to restore military ties.

The phone call comes as US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to manage tensions and after the two leaders resumed direct military talks in 2023.

In a readout after the call, the Pentagon said Mr Austin “underscored the importance of respect for high seas freedom of navigation guaranteed under international law, especially in the South China Sea”.

An escalating diplomatic row and recent maritime run-ins between China and the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, have made the highly strategic South China Sea a potential flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.

Prior to the November 2023 meeting between Mr Biden and Mr Xi, relations between the superpowers had become increasingly acrimonious, with friction over issues from Taiwan to China’s military activity in the South China Sea.

In October 2023, the US military said Chinese military aircraft had carried out risky or reckless maneuvers close to US aircraft nearly 200 times since 2021.

Since then, the United States’ top military general has spoken with his Chinese counterpart. REUTERS