The temperature between Washington and Beijing seems to be shifting — not rising this time, but softening. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday announced that the United States and China would soon open military-to-military communication channels, describing bilateral ties as “never been better.”

The statement, posted on X, followed his meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of a regional security summit — and came just hours after Hegseth had delivered one of Washington’s toughest warnings yet to China over its actions in the South China Sea.

His optimism reflected a rare moment of warmth in a relationship long strained by trade disputes, technology bans, and military tensions in the Pacific.

Hegseth said he also briefed President Donald Trump fo

See Full Page