US and China resume military contacts at the highest level

The renewed talks come as Beijing and Washington seek to thaw icy bilateral relations and both governments deal with a series of crises buffeting their leadership. The White House is struggling to manage wars in Gaza and Ukraine, while Xi is facing a severe economic slump at home.

"I think both sides see that, with the Taiwan elections in January but also the US elections coming in November of next year, 2024 promises to pose some important tests for US-China relations," said Jacob Stokes, an Asia expert at the Center for a New American Security think-tank.

"If it's possible to inject a level of stability into the relationship in advance of that, it might help ties weather those tensions with major problems erupting," Stokes added.

Read the full article and more from the Financial Times.