The Ministers of Defense of China and the United States recognized the need for military cooperation.

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chinese Minister of Defense Wei Fenhe during a meeting on the margins of the meeting of ASEAN defense ministers in Singapore agreed that cooperation remains the only way to develop relations between the armed forces of the two countries, the PRC State Council said.

"The parties unanimously acknowledged that at the moment the armed forces of the two countries should faithfully fulfill the agreements of the leaders of China and the United States, strengthen contacts and mutual trust, control risks, and ensure that the ties of the two countries' armies become a stabilizer of interstate relations," said Wei Fenhe.
According to him, “mutually beneficial cooperation is the only choice for the implementation of stable development of bilateral intergovernmental relations, strengthening mutual trust remains the best connecting element for maintaining contacts between the armies of the two countries, and showing respect and tolerance is the most correct way to resolve existing contradictions.”
"The principled position of China on the Taiwan issue, on the problems of the South China Sea will remain unchanged, and the commitment of the Chinese army to protecting state sovereignty, national security, and development interests remains unshakable," said the head of the defense department of the PRC.

He expressed the hope that "the American side will keep up with current trends, will work together with the PRC and make a positive contribution to the protection of regional and global peace and stability."
Mattis, in turn, said that "there are disagreements between China and the United States, but disagreement does not mean confrontation, just as rivalry does not mean enmity."
"The United States is ready to work together with China to develop relations between the two armies and believe that strengthening cooperation is the only appropriate way to develop these relations," he added.
According to him, “under current conditions, we hope to continue strengthening contacts and exchanges at all levels between the armed forces of the two countries.”