US, Chinese Military Officials Discuss Safety

U.S. and Chinese military officials met in Shanghai for a series of meetings which the U.S. military said on Thursday were focused on reducing unsafe actions by Chinese military ships and planes.

"Military officials from the U.S. traveled to Shanghai, China to meet for working-level talks focused on decreasing the incidences of unsafe and unprofessional PLA Navy and PLA Airforce actions," the U.S. military statement said, using an acronym for the People's Liberation Army.

The semi-annual talks, known as the military maritime consultative agreement (MMCA) working group, took place this week, the statement added.

The United States has long complained about dangerous flying and sailing by the Chinese military in the region.

China's military on Wednesday concluded two-day war games around Taiwan in which it held long-range, live-fire drills in the East China Sea, marking an escalation of exercises around the island.

(Reuters - Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, Editing by Franklin Paul)