| By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Beijing |
 Communication is expected to improve between Beijing and Moscow |
A new military hotline between Beijing and Moscow has been used for the first time, according to reports in the Chinese state media.
A senior Chinese officer discussed a range of topics with his Russian counterpart, Xinhua news agency said.
The phone link is designed for "timely communication on significant issues".
Efforts to set up a similar hotline, mainly for use during crises, between Beijing and Washington appear to have stalled, correspondents say.
In a world where emails and mobile devices mean you can always be in touch with the office, it seems strange that two of the world's most important military powers have only now started using a direct telephone link designed to make it easier for their senior officers to contact each other.
Crisis concerns
No doubt security concerns and diplomatic issues had to be resolved first.
But in huge bureaucracies it is not always easy to get to the man in charge in a hurry.
The hotline will now make that easier.
Put simply, the Chinese can now pick up the phone when there is a crisis and ask the Russians what is going on and what they are doing about it.
This first historic call was not so urgent, apparently.
The two soldiers exchanged views on the international and regional situation, bilateral relations and other issues of common concern.
There is still no hotline between China's armed forces and the Pentagon in Washington.
The two countries' presidents first agreed to set one up nearly three years ago.
A further deal was signed between the two defence departments in February but since then progress on establishing it appears to have stalled.
译文:
中俄双方军事热线开通
北京和莫斯科间的联系有望加强 |
据中国官方媒体报道，一条新的连接北京和莫斯科的军事热线已经投入使用。
新华社称，中俄双方高级官员就系列议题通过热线展开了讨论。
此条热线是为“就关键问题进行及时沟通”而设计的。
有报道称，在北京与华盛顿间建立一条类似（主要用于危机时沟通的）热线的工作似乎已中止。
两个军事大国现在才开始使用直通电话以使两国高级官员沟通更方便，这在一个你随时可以用电子邮件和移动设备与对方联系的世界，似乎有些不可思议。
出于危机考虑
无疑，安全问题和外交事宜必须得先解决。
然而在庞大的官僚机构中，立即找到相关负责人不总是那么容易的事。
热线使得事情变容易了。
简而言之，危机发生时，中方可以拿起电话询问俄方，那边发生了什么事，采取了什么措施。
显然，第一个具有历史意义的热线电话不是如此地紧急。双方只是就国际形势、地区形势、双边关系等其它共同关注的问题交换了意见而已。
而中国军方和华盛顿五角大楼间仍然没有这种热线。
两国领导人首次同意建设军事热线是在3年前。今年2月双方正式签署了协议，但从那时起似乎并无进展。