China favors interaction with US in Asia-Pacific

BEIJING - China is willing to enhance interaction with the United States in the Asia-Pacific region and, together, improve capacity to cope with challenges, said a Defense Ministry spokesperson on Thursday.

Spokesperson Yang Yujun made the remarks at a monthly press conference when asked whether China will participate in the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) multilateral naval drills.

Yang said participating in the RIMPAC was conducive to strengthening exchanges and cooperation among naval forces around the world.

The Chinese Navy joined the world's largest maritime exercise in Hawaii, the United States, last year.

The leaders of both two armed forces agreed that exchanges and cooperation should continue to develop, Yang said.

Yang praised the sound development of the armed forces' relationship against the background of a new model of China-US military ties based on mutual trust, cooperation, non-conflict and sustainability.

The Chinese and US armies agreed on a framework for dialogue during a visit to the US by Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in June, said Yang.

The China-US Army-to-Army Dialogue Mechanism is the first cooperation document signed by the two armies in recent years, he said, adding it is of great significance to the reinforcement of the pragmatic cooperation between the two armies.

According to the document, the Chinese and US armies will cooperate in the areas of humanitarian rescue and disaster reduction, UN peace-keeping missions, training, medicine and engineering, said Yang.

The two armies will continue to expand cooperation through the mechanism, he said.