The US and Chinese militaries this week held “frank and constructive” maritime security talks, the Chinese navy said yesterday, as the two superpowers gradually restore military-to-military communications after several months of trade tensions.
The working-level meetings took place from Tuesday to Thursday in Hawaii, according to a post on the official social media account of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy.
US and Chinese military officials previously held talks in April — the first such working-level meeting on military issues since the beginning of the second term of US President Donald Trump. The twice-yearly talks are known as the military maritime consultative agreement working group.
Photo: EPA
“The two sides had frank and constructive exchanges ... mainly exchanging views on the current maritime and air security situation between China and the US,” China’s navy said in its statement.
China also criticized US freedom-of-navigation operations in the statement. These are frequently carried out in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, international waters over which China claims sovereignty.
“China ... resolutely opposes any infringement and provocation,” China’s navy said, referring to those maritime and overflight transits by US forces.
Both sides also discussed “typical cases of naval and air encounters between the two militaries... to help the frontline naval and air forces of China and the US interact more professionally and safely,” it said.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth raised concerns about Chinese activity in the South China Sea and around Taiwan in a meeting with Chinese Minister of National Defense Dong Jun (董軍) last month.
China has been steadily increasing air, naval and coast guard deployments around Taiwan.
The Pentagon has been pushing for improved communications with China over its military modernization and regional posture, calling for greater transparency on its nuclear weapons build-up and more theatre-level discussions with military commanders.
The working group would have a follow-up meeting next year, the statement said.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
RSS