The United States and China held a new round of working-level maritime security talks in Hawaii this week, marking a cautious but significant step toward rebuilding military-to-military communication channels strained by months of trade tension and regional frictions.
According to a statement released on Saturday (Nov 22) by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the discussions, held from November 18 to 20, were “frank and constructive,” focusing primarily on maritime and air safety issues between the two rival powers. The talks were convened under the framework of the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA), a mechanism created to reduce risks of miscalculation and unintended conflict between US and Chinese forces. This week’s talks were the second since the start of US President Donald Trump’s second term.
The latest meeting follows an earlier round in April, which had been the first working-level contact since high-level tensions over trade and technology escalated in late 2024. The resumption of talks suggests both governments are seeking at least minimal guardrails to manage military encounters, even as broader political and strategic disagreements persist.
A US readout of the talks was not immediately available, but the PLAN’s statement underscored that the two sides exchanged views on “the current maritime and air security situation” and reviewed “typical cases of naval and air encounters.” Such case studies—ranging from close fighter-jet interceptions to near-collisions involving warships—are a standard feature of MMCA sessions, aimed at helping operational commanders avoid escalation.
Despite the more positive tone, Beijing used the talks to reiterate long-standing grievances over US freedom-of-navigation operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait. The US Navy routinely conducts such transits to challenge what Washington views as excessive maritime claims by China. Beijing, however, interprets these operations as infringements on its sovereignty.
The Chinese navy said it “resolutely opposes any infringement and provocation,” a reference to the US presence in waters and airspace that China claims. The United States maintains that both the Taiwan Strait and most of the South China Sea remain international waters under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The talks also took place amid heightened Chinese military activity around Taiwan. Over the past year, China has increased the frequency of air patrols, naval movements, and coast guard operations around the democratically governed island, which Beijing claims as its own territory. Taiwan’s government has repeatedly rejected China’s sovereignty claims, and the US has regularly voiced concern about what it calls “coercive” actions by Beijing.
Last month, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth raised these concerns directly with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun during their bilateral meeting. Washington has warned that aggressive manoeuvres by Chinese forces—particularly unsafe aerial intercepts—could spark a crisis.
The Pentagon has been advocating for more structured communication with the Chinese military, particularly as Beijing accelerates its nuclear weapons build-up and expands its naval and air capabilities. US officials have emphasized the importance of theatre-level dialogue between operational commanders to prevent misunderstandings during military operations in contested areas.
While the military dialogue remains limited, the resumption of MMCA meetings is being interpreted by analysts as a small but necessary step toward stabilizing the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship.
According to the PLAN, the working group will reconvene in 2026, continuing what both sides hope will become a more predictable and professional channel for crisis avoidance—even as geopolitical rivalry between Washington and Beijing shows little sign of easing.
