Top US general & senior Chinese counterpart speak by phone after Beijing’s Hong Kong ban for ships

The top US general and a senior Chinese counterpart spoke on the phone, the US military said. The conversation on Tuesday came a day after China banned US military ships and aircraft from visiting Hong Kong, Reuters reports.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley spoke with the People’s Liberation Army of China Chief of the Joint Staff Department General Li Zuocheng, according to the military.

“The two military leaders both agreed on the value of a productive dialogue, effectively managing differences, and cooperation on areas of common ground,” the statement added.