Washington and Beijing will maintain the key channels in order to “deescalate” potential flare-ups, the secretary of war has said The US and China have agreed to reopen top-level military-to-military channels following a recent bilateral meeting of their top brass in Malaysia, according to War Secretary Pete Hegseth. The communications are a key de-escalation mechanism that Beijing cut in 2022 after a formal visit to Taiwan, a self-governed region viewed by Beijing as an inseparable part of