ChinaPower U.S.-China Mil-Mil Ties: A Conversation with Chad Sbragia
Dec 4, 2025
Chad Sbragia, a Research Staff Member at the Institute for Defense Analyses and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China, dives into U.S.-China military relations. He highlights surprising continuities in defense ties and how the current administration has fostered ongoing engagements. Sbragia shares insights from the Xiangshan Forum, the significance of high-level dialogues, and the importance of listening to each side. He discusses the decline in risky encounters and anticipates the upcoming National Defense Strategy, emphasizing China's challenge in the U.S. perspective.
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Defense Ties Kept Working Momentum
- Expectations that the first year of the Trump administration would severely degrade defense ties proved overstated. Chad Sbragia notes both sides kept working-level contacts and occasional high-level engagement instead.
Rhetoric Changed, Substance Stayed Similar
- Secretary Hegseth signaled openness to contacts which sustained late Biden-era exchanges into the current period. Chad Sbragia argues substance of exchanges remains very similar despite different rhetoric.
Reinstate Mid‑Tier Dialogues
- Reintroduce mid-tier defense dialogues (assistant secretary/undersecretary level) to resolve substantive issues and generate decisions. Do prioritize track 1.5 mechanisms to complement official channels and test policy options.