U.S. CONCLUDES MILITARY TALKS WITH CHINA

The annual meeting of the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement between the United States and China concluded in Shanghai today. Rear Adm. William Sullivan, director of Strategic Planning and Policy for the U.S. Pacific Command, headed the U.S. delegation. Rear Adm. Zhou Borong, deputy chief of staff for the People's Liberation Army Navy, headed the Chinese delegation.

The three-day meeting was conducted in a professional and cooperative atmosphere. Both sides exchanged views in a spirit of mutual respect on relevant issues of Sino-U.S. military maritime safety, identified common ground and remaining differences.

This was the third annual meeting held under the Agreement on Establishing a Consultation Mechanism to Strengthen Military Maritime Safety between the Department of Defense of the United States and the Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, signed in January 1998.

In conjunction with this meeting, the delegation also met with the commander of China's East Sea Fleet and was provided a tour of a Chinese naval ship.