TOKYO -- The Beijing Xiangshan Forum on defense and security opened Thursday in the Chinese capital, drawing participants from countries including the U.S., as the rival powers aim to stabilize ties amid rising tensions.
The Pentagon was sending Michael Chase, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, Taiwan and Mongolia, restoring the same level of representation seen in the past, government-funded broadcaster Voice of America reported. Last year, the report said, the U.S. was represented by lower-ranking officials, following a Chinese spy balloon incident that exacerbated bilateral tensions.
