Stable contacts between Chinese and US militaries are an important part of bilateral relations, in which both sides are interested, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Thursday
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2020) Stable contacts between Chinese and US militaries are an important part of bilateral relations, in which both sides are interested, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Thursday.
"China-US military relations are an important part of relations between the two countries. Maintaining a stable Chinese-US military relationship is in the interests of both sides and requires joint efforts," Wu Qian said when asked to comment on military interaction amid heightened tensions between the two states.
On October 20, officials from the Chinese Central Military Commission's Office for International Military Cooperation and the United States' Department of Defense held phone talks to exchange opinions on issues of mutual interest.
"The parties held a deep exchange of views on interaction between the armed forces of the two countries and on matters of common interest. The sides agreed to strengthen interaction between the military of the two countries and develop cooperation in areas of common interest," he said.
From October 28-29, representatives of the armed forces of China and the United States held a video conference on crisis communications. In addition, the parties agreed to hold an annual seminar on the provision of humanitarian assistance by the military and liquidation of the consequences of natural disasters by video conference, in mid-November.
According to Wu, by the end of the year, the two sides will also hold a video conference on maritime security.
In a recent escalation of bilateral tensions, China accused the US of building up a presence in the South China Sea by sending navy ships to conduct freedom of navigation operations. According to Beijing, the US is undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait after a US warship crossed the waterway. The US, on its part, insists the strait is part of international waters and its "freedom of navigation" operations are in line with international law.
