China, US militaries conduct joint disaster drills

The Chinese and US militaries started a weeklong joint humanitarian and disaster relief exercise and seminar on Monday in Portland, Oregon, in an effort to better coordinate responses to disasters.

The activity began with a three-day academic seminar and will be followed by a command post exercise and a four-day live troop exercise, according to a news release from the Chinese side.

The activity is part of the consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. It also is part of the exchange mechanism between the two militaries.