US and Chinese military officials held several meetings on military issues in Hawaii. The meetings were held in Honolulu on April 3 and 4. It was discussed how the two countries can work safely. US officials reported this information on Friday (April 5). British news agency Reuters reported this news.
The talks, known as the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) Working Group, are the first military meeting between China and the United States since 2021.
US President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday about managing tensions over the South China Sea.
The meeting between the two leaders took place last November. They then agreed to resume direct military talks.
In a statement, the U.S. military said that in meetings held this week, officials from both countries “reviewed security developments over the past several years.” At the same time, they also discussed about maintaining operational safety and professionalism at sea and air.
In a separate statement released on Saturday, China’s Defense Ministry said the two sides had clear and constructive discussions on the Sino-US maritime and aviation security situation during the meeting.
The ministry also said that during the meeting, the country strongly opposes any attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty and security in the name of freedom of navigation and air navigation.
