USA: 'Cooperation remains essential' - Pompeo after US-China high-level talks

The second round of China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue took place in Washington on Friday, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis meeting a Politburo member from China's Communist Party Yang Jiechi and Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe.
According to officials, the agenda included bilateral relations as well as situation around the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan and the South China Sea.
"Even as our countries confront important differences in the bilateral relationship between the nations, our cooperation remains essential on many, many central issues," said Pompeo at a press event after the negotiations.
At the same time, Pompeo noted that Washington had "continued concerns about China's activities and militarisation" in the disputed South China Sea.
From his part, Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi, urged the US government to stop sending ships and military aircraft close to islands claimed by Beijing in the region.
"The Chinese side made it clear to the United States that it should stop sending its vessels and military aircraft close to Chinese islands and reefs and stop actions that undermine Chinese authority and security interests," he said.
The US Defence Secretary pushed back, saying that the US will "continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows."
The talks were supposed to pave the way for a meeting between President Donald Trump and China's president Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Argentina at the end of November.