Seeking to calm escalating tensions in South China Sea, top Chinese and US generals spoke by phone and said they were ready to work out an effective mechanism to prevent confrontation and maintain stability in the region. Chinese Chief of General Staff Fang Fenghui told Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford in a video conference on Thursday that China values freedom of navigation "more than any other country in the world," according to a statement posted on the defense ministry's website.

China, US eye pact over S. China Sea. (2016, May 14). Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A16.