Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

Data Figure: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates

Xinhua Beijing December 27 (Reporter Bear blooming, Liao Lei, Wang Yudan) the Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Liang invited U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and his party next year, January 9 to 12 visit. China’s military and international relations experts believe that this visit marks the result of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan severely damaged China-US military relations began to pick up.

Foreign Affairs Office of the Chinese Defense Ministry announced that at 27, Gates during his visit, the Chinese leaders will meet with Gates, two ministers will international and regional security situation, the relationship between the two armies and other issues of common concern-depth exchange of views.

Although Gates’s visit to China has been concerned about the outside world, but this is the first official China visit of Bill Gates officially announced the specific date and said, “is well-prepared for the Gates’ visit to China to do, I hope The visit was successful. ”

2010, Sino-US military relations have experienced ups and downs. The end of January, the U.S. insisted on total sales to Taiwan nearly $ 6.4 billion worth of weapons, both sides had agreed to a series of military exchange programs could not achieve during the year, including Gates’s visit to China, PLA Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde and U.S. staff long joint Mullen visits, exchange visits and other U.S. warships.

into the fall, the U.S. military community to re-start high-level contacts. October, Hanoi, Vietnam, Liang achieved during the first meeting with Gates. Meanwhile, Liang invited Gates to visit China in early 2011, Gates accepted the invitation; December, in the United States Washington, PLA Deputy Chief of General Staff Ma Xiaotian, deputy secretary of defense with the United States held under the auspices Flournoy tenth U.S. Department of Defense a defense consultations.

“These contacts are willing to resume high-level military issued a communication signal, and Gates’s visit will mark the process of dialogue, military exchanges started full recovery.” Peking University Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said Zhu Feng, deputy director of .

Ministry of National Defense Foreign Affairs Office official expressed the hope that Gates’ visit will help enhance mutual understanding between the two armies and trust, properly handle the relations between the two armed forces in the conflicts and differences, expand common interests and cooperation foundation to continuously improve the level of military cooperation, and promote military relations in a healthy and stable development.

“important and complex Sino-US relations, the two armies engage in dialogue, not only can promote the various forms and channels of communication, enhance mutual trust, you can also explore the establishment of crisis management mechanisms, which maintain regional peace and stability can not be replaced role. “Zhu Feng said.

But experts also pointed out that restricting the development of Sino-US military relations between the three main barriers to access and difficult to eliminate because of time.

China Rear Admiral Yang Yi, said: “The United States arms sales to Taiwan, Congress restricted military exchanges of machine-related bills and U.S. warships in the Chinese exclusive economic zone or near the high degree of surveillance is always U.S. the establishment of military mutual trust, cooperation for development of a stumbling block. “

military relations between countries has always been regarded as a” wind vane “and” barometer. ” Experts believe that Bill Gates’s visit can not only promote military cooperation, but also the promotion of bilateral relations and additions.