In a significant development, military representatives from the United States and China met in Hawaii this week for the first in-person meeting of its kind in years. The meeting, known as the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) Working Group, took place in Honolulu over a two-day period.

The discussions involved 18 officials from China's People's Liberation Army and 18 representatives from various major commands of the US military stationed in the Pacific region. The attendees included officials from the US Indo-Pacific Command, US Pacific Fleet, and US Pacific Air Forces.

An unnamed senior US military official spoke to reporters, emphasizing the importance of the talks in ensuring the safety of military operations. The official mentioned that this was the first time such operational safety conversations had taken place in years due to previous cancellations by China.

This week's gathering followed the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2023, where the leaders agreed to maintain military-to-military communication. Notably, this was also the first in-person meeting in years, as the previous event in December 2021 was held virtually.

The MMCA meetings between the US and China have been occurring since 1998, with the aim of directly discussing air and maritime operational safety between the two countries.

Aside from the meeting in Hawaii, Biden and Xi had a phone conversation earlier this week. They covered various topics, including countering narcotics, artificial intelligence, climate change, and military-to-military relationship between the two nations.

In January, US and Chinese officials also convened at the Pentagon to discuss bilateral relations, signaling a renewed effort for engagement after several years of cancellations by China.

The senior US military official highlighted a reduction in unsafe behavior between US and Chinese aircraft over the Pacific, which was seen as an encouraging sign. However, concerns were raised about China's increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions against routine maritime operations conducted by the Philippines in the South China Sea.

US officials had previously reported an increase in coercive and risky behavior from Chinese pilots towards US aircraft over the past two years. However, two US defense officials later confirmed that Chinese interceptions of US military aircraft had eased.

The MMCA meeting served as a vital platform for the US and China to address operational safety concerns and foster better communication. As military tensions persist in the Pacific region, maintaining a dialogue between the two powers remains crucial to ensure the safe operation of their forces.