From November 18 to 20, China and the United States engaged in high-level discussions to address maritime and air security concerns, as reported by the Chinese military’s official WeChat account. The talks focused on evaluating the current state of bilateral security and analyzing typical scenarios involving naval and air force encounters. Both sides reviewed the annual implementation of the ‘Code of Conduct for Safe Encounters between China and the United States Maritime and Air Forces,’ a framework designed to enhance operational professionalism and safety. Additionally, the delegations explored measures to improve the management of maritime military security and agreed on preliminary topics for the 2026 working group meeting. The discussions underscored the importance of this mechanism in reducing the risk of misunderstandings and strengthening crisis management capabilities. China reiterated its firm stance against any actions, under the guise of freedom of navigation or overflight, that infringe upon its sovereignty and security.