Months of urging from the Pentagon for military leaders in China to communicate paid off Thursday when Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with his Chinese counterpart by video teleconference.

It was the first time Gen. Brown spoke with Gen. Liu Zhenli of the People’s Liberation Army since he replaced retired Army Gen. Mark Milley on the Joint Chiefs in October.

“Gen. Brown discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication,” the Defense Department said. “Gen. Brown reiterated the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue to reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings.”

Thursday’s video call was the first talk between top military leaders from the U.S. and China since August 2022 when Beijing suspended all contact after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. It follows a meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month.

“The two military leaders discussed a number of global and regional security issues,” the Pentagon said.

The U.S. considers China its No. 1 pacing challenge, the only other country capable of marshaling high levels of military and economic power. Washington has accused Beijing of engaging in reckless and provocative behavior in the Pacific. The U.S. Navy regularly sends warships through the Taiwan Strait and other parts of the South China Sea to press its navigation rights.

The Pentagon said Gen. Brown “reaffirmed the importance” of both sides holding high-level talks between Washington and Beijing and between Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and his counterparts in the PLA.

Gen. Brown “regularly communicates with chiefs of defense across the world and remains open to constructive dialogue with the [People’s Republic of China],” the Defense Department said.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.