Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Netanyahu: If Lebanese Army takes steps to disarm Hezbollah, Israel will engage in reciprocal measures, including phased reduction of Israeli military presence in Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Photojournalist Houssam Al-Masri martyred, reporters Hatem Omar, Mohammad Ashraf Salameh injured in Israeli strike on Nasser Medical Complex.
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace

Pentagon official set to attend military forum in China: Reuters

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 4 Sep 2024 14:25
3 Min Read

The move, first reported by Reuters, is significant because the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China holds a higher-ranking position than the US representative who attended last year’s Xiangshan Forum.

Listen
  • x
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Chase visits Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington in May 2021. (U.S. AIR FORCE)
    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Chase visits Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington in May 2021. (US Air Force)

The United States plans to send Michael Chase, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, to China’s premier annual security forum in mid-September, according to a US official who spoke to Reuters.

Chase’s participation, which has not been previously reported, is notable as he holds a more senior position than the US representative who attended last year’s Xiangshan Forum, although his rank aligns with the Pentagon’s historical norms for such events.

In 2019, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Chad Sbragia attended the forum. The official, who requested anonymity, indicated that Chase's expected attendance could suggest a move towards increased working-level engagement with China amid ongoing regional tensions.

Over 90 countries and international organizations are set to send delegations to the forum, scheduled for September 12-14 in Beijing, according to Chinese state media.

Last year, Washington sent Xanthi Carras, the China Country Director in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense, to the forum’s resumption after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Carras' lower rank compared to Chase and Sbragia marked a sign of improving military relations.

Related News

Valery Zaluzhny: From Ukraine top general to presidential prospect

FP: Why the Global South won't pick sides in US-China rivalry

Dive deeper

In January, Michael Chase co-chaired US-China military talks in Washington, marking the first working-level discussions between the two nations since 2022. These talks were the first such engagement since bilateral military interactions were largely suspended following then-US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

The US-China relationship remains strained over contentious issues like Taiwan and the South China Sea. Both nations have shown reluctance to compromise on these "core issues." Last week, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan noted that no new agreements had been reached regarding the South China Sea during his visit to China.

China has consistently criticized US military activities in the Asia-Pacific region, including the deployment of long-range missiles in the Philippines and arms sales to Taiwan—a territory China claims as its own.

Conversely, the US has expressed what it perceives as concerns over China's actions in the South China Sea, its frequent military maneuvers around Taiwan, and the alleged lack of transparency regarding China's nuclear arsenal.

It is worth noting that the official nuclear discussions were suspended by Beijing in July in response to US arms sales to Taiwan. However, both countries have agreed that leaders from the US Indo-Pacific Command will soon hold a phone call with their counterparts in China’s southern theatre command, which oversees the southern seas.

Read more: 'Negative factors' growing in US-China relations despite stability

  • United States
  • Taiwan
  • Xiangshan Forum
  • Michael Chase
  • China
  • Philippines

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS