US Not Out to ‘Decouple’ From China, Defense Official Says in Beijing

U.S. Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for China Chad Sbragia speaks during a meeting on Asia-Pacific Security Architecture at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, China on Oct. 21, 2019. Jason Lee/Reuters

BEIJING—The United States is not seeking to “decouple” from China and not asking any country to choose sides, a senior U.S. defense official said on Oct. 21, offering a softer outlook on relations bruised by a bitter trade war.

China has been nervous that the United States is seeking to sever, or at least severely curb, economic ties in what has been called a “decoupling.” Beijing fears that the Trump administration wants a complete separation with China.