美中防長會晤以期改善關係

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has told his Chinese counterpart that improved high-level relations between their countries will reduce the risk of unintentional conflict.

Mattis and Chinese General Wei Fenghe met on the sidelines of an Asian security conference in Singapore in an effort to normalize military relations. Following the talks, U.S. officials said they sensed relations with China's military had stabilized, although the talks did not produce new agreements.

Military relations between Washington and Beijing had deteriorated in recent weeks over a bitter trade war, U.S. sanctions against China's military for buying weapons from Russia, and Beijing's creation of military outposts in the South China Sea.

Pentagon official Randall Schriver told reporters after the longer-than-expected 90-minute meeting that Mattis "repeated our desire for a durable relationship that is a stabilizing force in the overall relationship."

Mattis planned to meet in Beijing with Wei a few weeks ago, but Chinese officials said Wei was not available, one of several indications strained U.S.-China relations had spread into the military arena. China's snub came as it reacted angrily to the sanctions

U.S. President Donald Trump has often lambasted China over its economic policies. China did not immediately comment to U.S. media after the meeting between Mattis and Wei during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference.美國國防部長馬蒂斯對他的中國同行表示，改善美中兩國之間的高層關係將減少意外衝突的風險。

馬蒂斯和中國國防部長魏鳳和上將在新加坡舉行的亞洲安全會議期間會晤，努力使兩國軍事關係正常化。美國官員在會談後表示他們感覺與中國軍方的關係已經穩定，不過談判沒有達成新的協議。

最近幾周華盛頓和北京之間的軍事關係惡化，原因包括雙方激烈的貿易戰，美國因中國軍隊從俄羅斯購買武器而實施制裁，以及北京在南中國海建立軍事前哨。

五角大樓官員Randall Schriver在長達90分鐘的會議結束後告訴記者，馬蒂斯重申了“我們對保持持久關係的願望，這種關係是中美關係中的穩定力量。”

馬蒂斯曾在幾周前計劃在北京與魏鳳和會面，但中國官員當時表示魏鳳和無法會面，這是美中關係轉冷擴散到軍事領域的若干跡象之一。中國的這種冷落顯示了對美國製裁的憤怒。

美國總統特朗普經常抨擊中國的經濟政策。馬蒂斯與魏鳳和在東盟會議期間會晤後，中方沒有立即對美國媒體發表評論。