US Navy ‘excited’ by prospect of better communication with China

The U.S. Navy was “excited” by the prospect of improved operational communications with the Chinese military amid roiling regional tensions, but work was still needed to solidify the next steps, a senior U.S. naval officer said on Friday.
Admiral Lisa Franchetti, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, told a media briefing during a visit to the South Korean port of Busan that it was vital to maintain open lines of communications between the two militaries to avoid “misunderstandings and miscalculations” that could lead to conflict.
“I’m very excited and I welcome that announcement,” she said of China’s agreement to resume telephone communications between theatre commands, something U.S. officials have been eager to develop.
“These agreements were reached just recently, and we know that we have work with the PRC military to do to solidify the next steps,” Franchetti said on her first visit to the region since starting the job on Nov. 2.