US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that Washington and Beijing had agreed to restore military-to-military communication channels aimed at “deconflicting and deescalating” potential tensions between the two powers.

Hegseth met with China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun on the sidelines of a regional summit in Malaysia, a day after US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in South Korea.

“I just spoke to President Trump, and we agree — the relationship between the United States and China has never been better,” Hegseth wrote on X, adding that he had also spoken with Dong following their face-to-face meeting.

“The Admiral and I agree that peace, stability, and good relations are the best path for our two great and strong countries,” he said, emphasizing “strength, mutual respect, and positive relations.”

According to Hegseth, the two sides agreed to “set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise.” Such communication mechanisms have existed for years but have occasionally fallen into disuse during periods of heightened tension.

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The Chinese defence ministry, in its readout of the meeting, said Dong had called for “policy-level dialogue to enhance trust and dispel uncertainty,” adding that both countries should work toward a military relationship “characterised by equality, respect, peaceful coexistence, and stable positive momentum.”

The renewed dialogue follows last week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, where the two leaders agreed to reduce US tariffs on Chinese goods to 47% in exchange for Beijing resuming soybean purchases, maintaining rare earth exports, and taking action against fentanyl trafficking.

The Busan meeting — their first since 2019 — capped Trump’s Asia tour, which also included trade discussions with South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asian nations.