A joint military exercise was held on Dec. 9 (local time) at a port in San Diego, joined by Chinese naval ships and American Bunker Hill Cruise. The exercise was in accordance with the Rules for China-U.S. Unplanned Encounters at Sea, as well as the Safety Code of Conduct on China-U.S. Encounters at Sea and in Air.

The joint exercise was the outcome of a leaders' meeting between China and the U.S. earlier in 2016. Fleet communication, formation movement, formation aerial photography and joint search-and-rescue were the main components of the exercise, according to China's Ministry of Defense.

Rules for China-U.S. Unplanned Encounters at Sea include a set of normative operation procedures, aiming to minimize risks and lower the possibility of unintended maritime clashes. The Safety Code of Conduct on China-U.S. Encounters at Sea and in Air is one of the two "mutual-trust mechanisms” between the Chinese and American militaries.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy commissioned ship formation, including Taihu, Daqing and Yancheng, all joined the friendly visit to the U.S. During the visit, Tyson, the commander of the U.S. Third Fleet, visited Yancheng and attended a deck reception on board. Controllers of the Chinese naval formation, including Huang Jianxing, paid a visit to senior officials such as Bynum, commander of the U.S. Carrier Strike Group.