New Delhi, Nov. 2 -- The temperature between Washington and Beijing seems to be shifting - not rising this time, but softening. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday announced that the United States and China would soon open military-to-military communication channels, describing bilateral ties as "never been better."

The statement, posted on X, followed his meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of a regional security summit - and came just hours after Hegseth had delivered one of Washington's toughest warnings yet to China over its actions in the South China Sea.

"I spoke with my Chinese counterpart late Saturday," Hegseth said, adding that both sides agreed that "peace, stability and good relati...