China-U.S. military video call achieves constructive progress: defense ministry

BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A recent video call between senior Chinese and U.S. military officers has achieved constructive progress, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday.

Liu Zhenli, a member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of staff of the CMC Joint Staff Department, and Charles Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, had a video call on Dec. 21, ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said during a press conference.

They had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the implementation of the consensus reached between the two countries' heads of state in San Francisco and on issues of common concern, Wu noted.

China expects that the U.S. side will work with China to advance the healthy and steady development of relations between the two countries' militaries on the basis of equality and mutual respect, Wu said.

On exchange programs, Wu said that the national defense departments of the two countries are maintaining communication and will announce progress in due course.