WASHINGTON: A Chinese delegation held a meeting with a top US military official during a conference in Fiji, earlier in August, the US and Chinese officials said on Thursday, a move that can signal a possible thawing in military ties between the two sides.
Reuters quoted Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder as saying that the head of US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral John Aquilino, met with military officials from China at the conference organized in Fiji earlier in August. Senior military officials from 27 nations attended the conference co-hosted by Fiji and the US.
US-China ties
In a news conference, Brigadier General Patrick Ryder that they were going to continue to do everything they could do on their part to maintain open lines of communication to decrease the potential for error and miscalculation. Ryder expressed hope that this was an indication of more talks in the future.
Chinse Officials Confirm Meeting
On the other hand, Global Times reported that senior military officials from the US and China have held dialogues. China’s Ministry of National Defense also confirmed the development as it was the first offline talks between senior officials of the two sides in the current year.
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Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian said that Vice chief of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission Xu Qiling has held talks with the US military officials in Fiji. According to Wu, Xu Qiling led a delegation to Fiji to attend the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense conference from August 12 to 18.
