Other Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam also claim parts of the South China Sea. "The key to developing a healthy, stable, and sustainable military-to-military relationship is ... a correct understanding of China," China's Defense Ministry said in a readout of the Brown-Liu virtual call. China has consistently maintained its claim over self-governed Taiwan and the majority of the South China Sea. The U.S. has documented more than 180 coercive and risky air intercepts against its aircraft in the region between 2021 and 2023, according to its latest China Military Power Report. This includes their bilateral Defense Policy Coordination Talks, Military Maritime Consultative Agreement talks, and opening lines of communication between the leaders of the respective military commands in the South China Sea and the broader Pacific.

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Persons: Cope, Charles Brown, Liu Zhenli, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, General Brown, General Liu, Nancy Pelosi, Brown, Liu, — CNBC's Evelyn Cheng Organizations: Air Force, Clark Air Base, U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Economic Cooperation, Biden, Beijing, U.S ., Defense Ministry, U.S . Defense Department, People's Liberation Army, Maritime, Eurasia Group Locations: Philippines, Mabalacat, Pampanga, Asia, San Francisco, Eurasia, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Singapore, Manila, South China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, United States, The Hague, U.S, South