Chinese general tells U.S. military to eschew provocation

Chinese and United States armies should further enhance communication, manage risks while avoid deliberately creating confrontation, provocation and mutual exclusion, the chief of staff of Chinese military told his U.S. counterpart on Thursday.

China's Defense Ministry said in a statement that under current situation, both militaries of the two countries should "further strengthen dialogues, manage risks and promote cooperation with mutual respect and with objective and rational attitude," said General Li Zuocheng, chief of staff of China's Central Military Commission Joint Staff Department, in a video call with General Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In the call requested by the U.S. side, Li, also a member of the CMC, said China and the U.S. can completely make joint development and benefit each other in accordance with the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden, adding that the two countries should avoid making confrontation deliberately, stirring up trouble and repulsion against each other.

Li told Milley that China will never compromise and concede when it comes to the nation's core interests, warning that the Chinese people will firmly fight back someone making wanton provocations.

The senior official urged the U.S. side to stop reversing history and cease the U.S.-Taiwan military collusion, so to avoid impacting the China-U.S. relations and the stability across the Taiwan Straits. He also underscored that the Chinese military will definitely safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Both sides agreed that it serves their common interests that maintaining the stable development of the relations between the two armies and avoiding conflicts and confrontations, on which the two sides can keep communications.

Li and Milley also exchanged views on naval and air military security and the crisis in Ukraine, according to the ministry.