Admiral John Richardson, US Chief of Naval Operations, was on a 3-day (January 13-15, 2019) visit to China. He met  PLA Navy Commander Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong on January 13, after which he tweeted that the two sides were both committed to continuing their dialogue. “Our two countries have many aligned interests and all countries benefit from a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.” Admiral John Richardson also met Qiu Yanpeng, Deputy Commander of the PLA Navy. His tour includes a visit to the PLA Eastern Theatre Command Hqrs at Nanjing. 

 

Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said “It’s likely that they will talk more about the East China Sea as the US has put heavy emphasis on Taiwan,. The US has been paying much attention to the development of the Chinese navy and hopes to increase its control over Taiwan.” Separately, an expert with the PLA Academy of Military Science, who is not allowed to speak to the media and requested anonymity, said “Mattis was seen as a figure who is rational and provided assurance and stability in the two militaries’ relationship. So [Richardson’s visit] is a good opportunity for both sides to get a sense of where the relationship is going after the change in leadership [on the US side].”