China-U.S. military video call 'positive and constructive,' says China

A recent video call between the chiefs of staff of the Chinese and U.S. militaries has produced positive and constructive outcomes, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

Chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission Liu Zhenli held talks via video link with Charles Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military, on December 21.

During the talks, the two sides exchanged candid and in-depth views on implementing the important military-related consensus reached between the two heads of state in San Francisco and on other issues of common interest, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, at a monthly press briefing in Beijing. "The video call yielded positive and constructive outcomes."

The conversation between the two military representatives came weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in San Francisco, where the two leaders agreed to resume a respectful and equitable high-level military-to-military communication, the China-U.S. Defense Policy Coordination Talks, and the China-U.S. Military Maritime Consultative Agreement meetings and conduct telephone conversations between theater commanders.

"Going forward, we expect the U.S. side to work with us in the same direction and take concrete actions on the basis of equality and respect to promote the sound and steady development of the China-U.S. military-to-military relationship," said Wu at Thursday's briefing.

As for specific exchange programs, the defense authorities of the two countries are in communication and coordination with each other, he added.

(Cover: Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, addresses a regular press briefing in Beijing, China, December 28, 2023. /Chinese Defense Ministry)