Washington and Beijing are working toward a deal that would soften restrictions for a recently established Chinese air defense zone in the Pacific.
{mosads}The Obama administration still refuses to acknowledge the validity of the zone, which sits over the Senkaku islands, known as Diaoyu in China, in the East China Sea.
That said, Vice President Biden pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping, to ease the identification and notification requirements for military and civilian aircraft traveling through the contested area.
During those talks in Beijing over the past week, Chinese officials agreed to re-evaluate the “technical issues” tied to the flight restrictions in the zone, according to The Wall Street Journal.
That step could significantly reduce the chances of a possible military confrontation between the two world powers within the defense zone.
The islands have frequently been a flashpoint between China and U.S. allies in the Pacific.
A majority of American operations flown in the area, which had been considered international airspace, consist of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, and large-scale training missions with U.S allies.
Earlier this month, a pair of American B-52 bombers flew unannounced into the air defense zone above the East China Sea, in a direct rebuke of China’s asserted authority over the area.
The Pentagon has also deployed several P-8 Poseidon submarine hunting aircraft to the region in recent weeks.