Chinese, US chiefs of staff agree to enhance communication

 Chinese and US chiefs of staff, in a telephone conversation on Thursday, agreed to strengthen communication and coordination between the armed forces of China and the United States.

Fang Fenghui, chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), discussed with his US counterpart, Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, a broad range of issues.

Fang said that China and the United States have broad common interests, and that the armed forces of the two countries should turn consensus reached by the heads of state into concrete policies and actions in order to build a new type of military relationship in line with the new-type inter-power relationship between China and the United States.

The Chinese side is ready to work with the United States to strengthen communication and coordination on major issues of common concern, enhance mutual trust, expand consensus, properly deal with differences, promote cooperation in a bid to push forward the sound and stable development of military relations between the two countries, Fang said.

Dempsey said the two heads of state of the two countries will meet soon which will certainly bring about momentum for overall relations and military relations.

He said the US military is willing to further increase dialogue with the PLA, use every opportunity to enhance understanding and cooperation, clear up misunderstanding, forge a relationship of mutual trust, and work out future ties between the armed forces of the two countries.

The two chiefs of staff also exchanged views frankly on other issues of common concern, including the Diaoyu Islands, the South China Sea, naval and air force military operations and cyber security.