US and China hold candid maritime military safety talks held in Hawaii

Representatives from the US Indo-Pacific Command and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy concluded two days of maritime military safety talks at Camp H.M. Smith base in Honolulu. According to SCMP, the agenda centred on a 12-mile contact protocol in the Taiwan Strait, encounter rules for fishing vessels in the South China Sea, and approach signals for aircraft carriers and warships.

US delegation leader Rear Admiral Christopher Cavanaugh said in a press note that 'the talks were candid and constructive, with concrete steps taken to reduce tactical-contact misunderstanding risk'. Chinese delegation leader Rear Admiral Liu Yi told Xinhua that 'maintaining a professional communication channel between the two navies is necessary for regional stability'.

State Council Information Office spokesperson Mao Ning said the talks were described as 'a revitalisation of the direct communication mechanism'. Bonny Lin, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said 'operating tactical-contact protocols should be assessed as a channel separate from strategic tensions'. Eurasia Group chief analyst Anna Ashton said 'the meeting carries signalling value for global maritime trade routes'. This report does not constitute investment advice.