China, US Sign Annexes On Military Crisis Reporting, Encounters In Air

The US and China have reached an agreement on code of conduct on naval and air force encounters.

China and the US have reached an agreement on a code of safe conduct on naval and air force encounters, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Thursday, calling the deal a move to mark new progress in building ‘mutual trust mechanisms’.

The two countries have signed annexes respectively about “notification of military crisis” and “encounters in the air” on major military operations and a code of safe conduct on naval and air force encounters, on September 18, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said.

The agreement was announced after two Chinese military aircraft intercepted an US Air Force surveillance plane on September 15 which Pentagon said potentially “unsafe”.

“The department is reviewing a report from US (Pacific Command) regarding a September 15 intercept of a US. RC-135 by two JH-7 aircraft from the People’s Republic of China,” Pentagon spokesman Commander Bill Urban was quoted as saying in the media.

“One of the maneuvers conducted by a PRC aircraft during the intercept was perceived as unsafe by the RC-135 aircrew.