NYT Op-Ed Urges U.S.–China Crisis Hotlines as Trump–Xi Meeting Nears

Overview

• Former Pentagon official Eric Rosenbach and Belfer Center researcher Chris Li warn that the absence of reliable military communications could turn routine encounters into conflict.
• They cite a sharp rise in risky intercepts and close approaches between U.S., Chinese, and allied forces around Taiwan in recent years.
• The op-ed urges President Donald Trump to prioritize building crisis-management mechanisms with China at the October 30 meeting in South Korea.
• The White House has confirmed the Trump–Xi talks for October 30, but no new crisis hotlines or protocols have been announced.
• China’s embassy in Washington told RIA Novosti that stable relations require mutual respect and called on the United States to abandon harmful practices, while the authors note the 2001 Hainan incident may not be as containable today.