Article Posted on : - Oct 21, 2014

A file photo.

WASHINGTON (PTI): The US and China have launched a bilateral platform to coordinate and discuss the security situation in the Asia-Pacific region in furtherance of their military-to-military relationship.

"The 'Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue' will continue to build upon the positive interactions within the DCT, and serve as another mechanism for our two nations to conduct sustained and substantive dialogue in furtherance of the development of our military-to-military relationship, on our differences and opportunities for cooperation," a defence official said.

The launch of Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue was announced after the 15th US-China annual Defence Consultative Talks (DCT) meeting at Pentagon. David Shear, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asia-Pacific Security Affairs would lead the US side.

The DCT was co-chaired by Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the general staff of People's Liberation Army, and Christine E Wormuth, United States Under Secretary of Defence for Policy.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the importance of a sustained and substantive military relationship, and development of the overall US-China bilateral relationship.

"They highlighted the importance of military-to-military engagement for fostering greater mutual understanding and reducing the potential for misperception or miscalculation," the official said.

Wormuth and Wang commented positively on instances of bilateral cooperation this year, to include those related to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

"At the talks, both Wormuth and Wang discussed a wide range of security issues, to include, the state of the bilateral military relationship, maritime security, instability in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, the threat posed to our shared interests by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and efforts to contain the spread of Ebola," the official said.

"Both Wormuth and Wang discussed the importance of maintaining and deepening dialogue on issues such as cyberspace security, space and nuclear policy, and missile defense," the official said.