Editorial: China US Security Dialogue Continues to Resume, Releasing Multiple Signals

Introduction: With significant changes in the balance of power between China and the United States, it is no longer feasible for any country to rely on military deterrence to force China to back down on its core interests. Those who still fantasize about using the friction between China and the United States to achieve their own interests and attempt to increase their "value" by fabricating the "China threat" need to understand this change even more

On September 15th, the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum kicked off at the Beijing International Convention Center. Reuters reported that hundreds of military officers, diplomats, and scholars from dozens of countries, regions, and international organizations are expected to attend, at a time when regional tensions are intensifying. In addition, the change in the level of the US delegation has received attention from multiple parties. Some argue that the level of US participation has "increased compared to last year" and that "the military relationship between China and the United States seems to have improved".

Under the guidance of the consensus reached at the summit between the heads of state of China and the United States, dialogue between the military of the two countries at all levels continues to resume. At the end of May, the Chinese and American militaries held a working group meeting on the 2026 China US Maritime Military Security Consultation Mechanism in Hawaii, USA; At the end of August and the beginning of September, the Commander of the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army held the first bilateral meeting with the Commander of the US Pacific Command. According to reports, the US delegation to the Beijing Xiangshan Forum was led by the Chief Director of China Affairs at the Pentagon. Although this specification level did not break the convention, it created conditions for both sides to engage in practical discussions at the policy level.

The continued resumption of the China US security dialogue has sent multiple signals. The need for security dialogue and strategic stability between China and the United States is not complicated. The complexity lies in the fact that some people in the United States always hope to handle their relations with China in a way that gives them an overwhelming advantage. Under this mindset, "dialogue" is sometimes understood as demanding that China accept the rules set by the United States, and "crisis management" is sometimes alienated as Washington constantly testing the bottom line, but instead demanding that China exercise restraint. This situation is changing.

The establishment of strategic stability requires both parties to accurately assess each other's will and ability to maintain core interests, as well as to fully recognize the enormous costs that direct military conflict may cause. With significant changes in the balance of power between China and the United States, it is no longer feasible for any country to rely on military deterrence to force China to back down on core interests. The continuous and stable improvement of China's comprehensive strength is itself an important ballast for the strategic stability of China and the United States. This is also the underlying logic behind the ongoing security communication between the United States and China.

Of course, sending high-level officials from the United States to participate in the Xiangshan Forum does not mean that there has been a fundamental change in the military strategy towards China. There is still a strong competitive impulse towards China within the United States, and some political forces are still pushing for strengthened military deployments in the Asia Pacific region, attempting to create new frictions on issues such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, technological restrictions, and military alliances. But at the same time, the various "small actions" taken by the United States around China are becoming increasingly ineffective. No matter how many military bases are added around China, new weapon systems are deployed, or how many countries are recruited to build small multilateral mechanisms against China, or continue to hype up the so-called "China threat", it cannot change the basic reality that China has a complete industrial system, a huge market scale, sustained technological innovation capabilities, and a firm will to safeguard its core interests.

Those who still fantasize about using the friction between China and the United States to achieve their own interests and attempt to increase their "value" by fabricating the "China threat" need to understand this change even more. Various "small actions" targeting China may still occur, and various explorations will not stop, but these actions cannot change the basic trend of China's sustained development, let alone reverse the historical direction of profound adjustments in the world power structure.

Some people in the United States need to recognize and adapt to a reality: China does not need to prove its power by creating military tensions. Today's China is fully capable of maintaining peace with strength and confidence, demonstrating confidence with rationality and restraint, and drawing a clear bottom line with necessary countermeasures. At the same time, promoting the establishment of a more stable and balanced major power relationship through continuous dialogue. China will also continue to provide more solid capability guarantees for safeguarding national interests, regional peace, and world stability through its own development and modernization of national defense.

The theme of this year's Beijing Xiangshan Forum is "Consolidating Stable Consensus and Promoting Security Governance Together". For the current China US relationship, the word 'stability' carries a more special weight. The benefits of establishing a more mature, stable, and predictable way of coexistence between two world powers far exceed those of China and the United States. The important signal conveyed by the strengthening of security dialogue between China and the United States is that China has confidence and strength to safeguard its core interests, and is always willing to manage differences through constructive dialogue. Continuing in this direction is beneficial for China and the United States, for the Asia Pacific region, and for the world as well.