PRESS RELEASE

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Dunford in China Meets With President Xi Jinping and State Councillor Yang Jiechi

Aug. 17, 2017 (EIRNS)—Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford topped off his brief visit in China with a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. Xi expressed satisfaction with the improvement of military-to-military relations between China and the United States. He noted that Dunford was the first U.S. military leader to visit China since President Trump’s election, and, said that although the visit was brief, it had been comprehensive. Dunford also met with State Councillor Yang Jiechi and with Gen. Fan Changlong, the vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission. Gneral Fan, too, said the visit was the important, but also raised Chinese concerns about U.S. monitoring activities in the South China Sea, the deployment of THAAD missiles in South Korea, and U.S. "meddling" in Taiwan. Fan said that the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula could only be resolved diplomatically.

Dunford thanked the Chinese Navy for helping with the rescue of a U.S. sailor who had fallen overboard. He said deepening communication and cooperation is a common aspiration for both countries.