Overview
- Working-level meetings under the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement were held November 18–20 in Hawaii, with both sides calling the exchanges frank and constructive.
- Participants reviewed typical air and sea encounters and the rules of behavior to improve professionalism and operational safety for frontline forces.
- China criticized U.S. freedom-of-navigation and overflight operations in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea and vowed to safeguard sovereignty and maritime rights.
- U.S. officials raised concerns over Chinese military activity near Taiwan and in the South China Sea and pressed for greater transparency on force modernization and nuclear posture.
- The two militaries agreed to continue the process with a follow-up MMCA session in 2026, a step observers see as a cautious thaw against a backdrop of regional frictions including tensions with Japan.