Chinese, US militaries ‘agree’ to archival cooperation plan for next year

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Chinese and American militaries have agreed on a preliminary plan for archival cooperation for next year, Beijing said Wednesday.

The agreement was reached during a virtual meeting between the Chinese and US militaries, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a brief statement.

According to the ministry, both sides exchanged views on military archives cooperation and reached a preliminary agreement on a 2026 cooperation plan.

The latest engagement follows Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun’s first face-to-face meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Malaysia in October.

The two officials spoke again in early November, after Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump met for their first summit in South Korea, during which the defense chiefs agreed to establish military-to-military communication channels.

"Admiral Dong and I also agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise. We have more meetings on that coming soon," Hegseth had said in a statement on US social media company X.

He added that peace, stability and good relations are the "best path" for the two nations.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said Wednesday that Beijing “will continue to assist the US side in locating the remains of American military personnel who went missing in China since the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.”

Volunteer US pilots who assisted the Chinese Air Force during World War II — known as the “Flying Tigers” — remain a notable symbol of early US-China cooperation.

Some surviving members visited China in November 2023, their first trip in 80 years.