Summary US and China have been holding talks to improve military cooperation for more than a decade now.
The U.S. and Chinese militaries are finishing up a modest disaster-relief exercise meant to build trust between armed forces that often view each other as adversaries.
Not a full-fledged operation, the two-day exercise ending Friday saw officers from the U.S. and Chinese militaries sitting around a table discussing how they would respond to an earthquake in a fictional third country.
U.S. Major General Stephen Lyons says the exercise is a step toward the day when the two militaries will operate side-by-side in a humanitarian operation.
Though Washington and Beijing have talked about improving military cooperation for more than a decade, distrust runs high and disagreements over Taiwan, North Korea and China's claims to disputed territories in the East and South China seas remain potential flashpoints.
