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Chinese, US militaries resume maritime safety talks after last year’s no-show
- US urged to stop sending ships and aircraft to the South China Sea, which China says is ‘the source of Sino-US maritime and aerial security risks’
- The 2020 meeting had been cancelled, with the US saying China had not turned up and the Chinese navy saying the Americans caused it not to happen
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The Chinese and American militaries resumed maritime safety talks earlier this month, during which China urged the US to stop sending ships and aircraft to the South China Sea, a Chinese military spokesman said on Thursday.
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Representatives from the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) navy and air force had a three-day virtual meeting with counterparts from the US Indo-Pacific Command, US Pacific Fleet and US Pacific Air Forces related to the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) on December 15 to 17, defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Tan Kefei said.
The MMCA is designed to strengthen military maritime safety and reduce risks between the American and Chinese forces, including in the South China Sea.
The two militaries have met regularly since 1998, but last year’s scheduled meeting was cancelled, with the US accusing China of not turning up and the Chinese navy saying that the Americans had distorted the facts and had caused it not to go ahead.
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Japan and China agrees to set up military hotline, stress importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait
Japan and China agrees to set up military hotline, stress importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait
At this year’s meeting, the two militaries reviewed the implementation of the Rules of Behaviour for Safety of Air and Maritime Encounters, signed in 2015, and discussed “measures to improve China-US military maritime safety”.
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China said on Thursday that the “fundamental solution” to prevent military risks was for the US to stop its operations in waters claimed by China.
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