After a two-year interruption in command-level contact, the two officers responsible for the military forces of China and the United States that are of paramount importance to the peace and stability of the Western Pacific talked face to face.

On Aug 31, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Chinese General Yang Zhibin, commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command, sat down with US Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Pacific Command, on the sidelines of a meeting of regional defense chiefs.

Making better use of communication channels in the military-to-military field was among the points of common understanding reached by the Chinese and US leaders during their meeting in Beijing in May.

Yang and Paparo discussed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the two militaries to reduce the risk of miscalculation and to promote the safe and professional conduct of the two forces.

As both Beijing and Washington indicate they are preparing for high-level exchanges, this military exchange of views also helps create the conditions and atmosphere conducive to that engagement.

No hotline can substitute for human contact. That matters enormously when military aircraft and ships operate in close proximity in the Western Pacific.

The restoration of military contacts after the impasse caused by then US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi's irresponsible and provocative visit to China's Taiwan region in 2022 has been gradual.

In September 2024, a video call was arranged between the commander of the PLA Southern Theater Command, Wu Yanan, and Paparo, during which the two sides had in-depth exchanges of views on issues of common concern, according to China's Ministry of National Defense.

The Victoria meeting represents the latest theater-level communication where the risk of friction remains high. That is of practical importance for the two sides to maintain the strategic stability of the most important bilateral ties in the world.

The leaders of China and the US agreed in May on a new vision of building a constructive relationship of strategic stability. The "constructive strategic stability" should be a positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, a sound stability with moderate competition, a constant stability with manageable differences, and an enduring stability with promises of peace.

The military-to-military exchanges between the two countries are undoubtedly conducive to promoting that kind of stability. To that end, the US side must exercise extra caution in dealing with the Taiwan question.

"Taiwan independence" and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water. Safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the US.

Paparo's meeting with Yang should serve as a reality check for the US side on just how sensitive the Taiwan question is. If it is handled properly, the China-US relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.

The military-to-military communication between China and the US should also serve to warn the separatists in China's Taiwan region that relying on external forces to seek "Taiwan independence" is doomed to fail.

What truly brings lasting peace to Taiwan compatriots is adherence to the one-China principle, opposition to "Taiwan independence" separatism, and the restoration of healthy and stable cross-Strait exchanges and dialogue.

Japan, the Philippines and other US allies in the Western Pacific are believed to have closely watched this meeting between Chinese and US military officials in Victoria. Their key takeaway should be that they share responsibility for reducing the risks of strategic misjudgment in the region.

The Taiwan Strait, the East China Sea and the South China Sea must not be allowed to become flashpoints. Any responsible major power should avoid direct confrontation. If the US shares this assessment, acts accordingly, and effectively restrains the actions of its regional allies, it would help build a crucial buffer for stability in the region.