Top military leaders of the United States and China signed an agreement on Tuesday that would enhance communication between the two nations.
Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford signed the document on joint strategic dialogue between Washington and Beijing during his visit to China, where he met with his counterpart Gen. Fang Fenghui.
The deal will improve communication and allow the two militaries to reduce the risk of miscalculation.
“To be honest, we have many difficult issues where we will not necessarily have the same perspectives,” Gen. Dunford said. “But from the meeting we had in Washington, D.C., and the meeting we just had, I know we share one thing: we share a commitment to work through these difficulties.”
The first meeting under the new framework will take place in November.
Officials said the deal is especially crucial now amid increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea’s state-run KCNA said earlier this month that the country’s authorities were considering a pre-emptive missile strike on Guam. Later, Pyongyang clarified that it was planning to test intermediate range ballistic missiles that would fly in the direction of the U.S. territory.
On Tuesday, KCNA reported, however, that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would watch “the foolish an stupid conduct of the Yankees” a little longer, prior to deciding whether to approve the tests.