China's military has signaled its readiness to strengthen communication and cooperation with the United States, following recent meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Chinese Defense Ministry said on Saturday that the People's Liberation Army is prepared to work with its U.S. counterpart to implement agreements reached by the two presidents, while expanding dialogue, cooperation and mechanisms for managing differences.
The statement comes as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilize their relationship despite continuing strategic disagreements.
Focus on Communication and Crisis Prevention
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Chen Shi emphasized the importance of high-level diplomacy in guiding military relations between the two countries.
He said stronger communication and dialogue are necessary to manage differences appropriately and help maintain stable and sustainable military ties.
The two sides had previously agreed to work toward a memorandum of understanding focused on crisis communication and prevention.
They also agreed to continue cooperation in efforts to locate and recover the remains of missing U.S. service members in China.
Trump and Xi Seek More Stable Relations
The latest military statement follows reciprocal visits by Trump and Xi in 2026 as the two governments attempt to build a more predictable relationship.
Trump visited Beijing from May 13 to 15, marking the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to China since 2017.
Xi later traveled to Washington in September for talks with Trump, where the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen communication and manage disagreements.
The discussions covered trade, investment, artificial intelligence and several international and regional issues, including the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula.
Military Dialogue Remains Important
The willingness of the Chinese military to expand communication with Washington could help reduce the risk of misunderstandings during periods of heightened tension.
Military-to-military communication is particularly important as the United States and China continue to compete strategically while maintaining significant economic and diplomatic ties.
The two sides have also discussed mechanisms designed to prevent disagreements from escalating into broader crises.
Cooperation Does Not End Strategic Rivalry
China's latest statement does not mean that major differences between Beijing and Washington have disappeared.
The two countries continue to compete over security, technology, trade and regional influence.
Instead, the announcement points to an effort to manage those differences through dialogue and established communication channels.
For both governments, maintaining military contact could provide an important safeguard against miscalculation while broader negotiations continue.
The challenge will be turning the political understanding between Trump and Xi into practical military cooperation without allowing unresolved strategic disputes to derail the process.