China, US hold ‘candid’ security talks amid Japan, South China Sea tensions

China and the United States have held their second round of maritime security talks this year to help manage risks between their militaries, according to the Chinese navy.

The talks, held in Hawaii from Tuesday to Thursday, were “candid and constructive,” the PLA Navy said in a statement on Saturday.

It said both sides exchanged views on the security situation, discussing cases of air and sea encounters and measures to improve operational safety.

The meeting marked the latest effort by the geopolitical rivals to keep military-to-military communication on track amid tensions across multiple domains, including in the East and South China seas.

The talks took place as tensions continue to grow between Beijing and Tokyo, a long-time US treaty ally, over the Japanese leader’s comments on Taiwan.

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Tokyo complains over video of diplomat appearing to bow to Chinese official

Tokyo complains over video of diplomat appearing to bow to Chinese official

Beijing has reacted with a string of retaliatory measures after Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested on November 7 that Tokyo could deploy its military forces in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, in the first such comment from a sitting Japanese leader.