US-China military talks address potential for accidental conflicts in Indo-Pacific

Meeting in Hawaii on Wednesday and Thursday was first face-to-face consultation since Xi Jinping and Joe Biden agreed to resume military dialogue in November

The US has accused China of ‘coercive and risky operational behaviour’ against US assets acting lawfully in international airspace over the East and South China seas

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A photograph provided by the US Indo-Pacific Command shows the meeting in Honolulu without identifying the participants. Photo: US Indo-Pacific Command

Published: 1:52am, 6 Apr 2024Updated: 1:45pm, 6 Apr 2024

US and Chinese military officials have met in Hawaii to discuss ways to avoid accidental clashes in the contentious Indo-Pacific region – their first face-to-face gathering since the leaders of both countries agreed in November to resume direct military communications.

Held in Honolulu, the meeting of the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement Working Group took place on Wednesday and Thursday. The US was represented by officers from the Indo-Pacific Command, Pacific Fleet and Pacific Air Forces.

According to Colonel Ian Francis of the Indo-Pacific Command, who led the US delegation, the talks concerned airspace and maritime operations.

“The United States will continue to operate safely and professionally in the Indo-Pacific wherever international law allows, and we take this responsibility seriously,” he said in a statement issued on Friday.

A Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet flying close to a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft in international airspace over the South China Sea, according to the Pentagon, in a still image from video taken on December 21, 2022. Photo: US Indo-Pacific Command via Reuters

He added that “open, direct, and clear communications” with the Chinese military, formally known as the People’s Liberation Army – as well as “with all other military forces in the region – is of utmost importance to avoid accidents and miscommunication”.