China and US hold military maritime meeting

China and the United States militaries held an annual working group meeting of the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement in Hawaii from Wednesday to Thursday, according to China’s Defense Ministry.

The ministry said in a statement on Saturday that the meeting aimed to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and promote the “healthy, stable and sustainable development” of military relations between the two countries.

On the basis of equality and respect, both sides conducted “candid and constructive exchanges” on the current situation of China-US maritime and airspace security, it said.

Both sides also evaluated the implementation of the Rules of Behavior for Safety of Air and Maritime Encounters since the MMCA meeting in 2021 and discussed measures to improve maritime military safety situation between the two countries.

During the meeting, the Chinese side pointed out that the safety of ships and aircrafts are closely related to national security, and China firmly opposes any actions that endanger its sovereignty and security under the guise of freedom of navigation and overflight.

The Chinese military will continue to respond to all dangerous and provocative actions in accordance with laws and regulations; firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests; and maintain regional peace, stability, and prosperity, said the ministry.