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

10 27, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates welcomed the Chinese Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Xu intensive interactive high-level visit to China and the U.S. military

deadlock solving the South China Sea

Die Zeit correspondent Gu Jinsheng

few months ago, the U.S. $ 6.5 billion a paper contract in Taiwan arms sales, so are on the rise of high-level military exchanges halted. Experienced a year after the collision of the South China Sea, Sino-US military interaction as their common needs, to reduce friction and misunderstanding.

Chinese Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Xu Caihou from October 24 to begin a week-long visit to the United States, marking the stagnation of the formal resumption of high-level military exchanges.

in accordance with the agreement, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will visit China next year. Involved in bilateral military interaction with senior officials including the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and PLA Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde. Prior to this, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry, Major General Qian Lihua, director of the Foreign Affairs Office, as described in the two Defense Department defense consultations held in Beijing; Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Staff General George Casey and Army generals have visited China; two maritime military security forces also conducted a frank dialogue. Major General Qian Lihua, also said: “These are the U.S. groups to visit China, also shows that there are still some difficulties in bilateral military relations, has not yet returned to normal levels.”

Although the two countries between the military there are still many issues to be resolved, but open communication is conducive to the avoidance of doubt, this is the premise of reducing misunderstanding or even conflict, especially in the South China Sea.

the establishment of military mutual trust is crucial

the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies, Senior Fellow Glaser (Bonnie Glaser) said, in order to eliminate their concerns, United States The two countries should discuss in what way to offer each other more “strategic assurance.”

U.S. officials and media have been concerned about China’s military power to enhance, worried about the U.S. interests in the Asia Pacific region is being challenged. Last month, U.S. intelligence agencies as the United States, China alone will be a challenge, mainly because of China’s “rising of the resource as the core of diplomacy and military modernization.”

this, General Xu was clear, thorough instructions.

“We are developing missiles, cruise missiles, it is true,” Xu in the United States Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a speech, “but China’s development of weapons entirely for self-defense.” He pointed out that China is facing severe challenge, not to achieve the complete reunification of the PLA focused on defending China’s economic development, to prevent separatist and extremist forces of the challenges, it is necessary to maintain an appropriate degree of modernization of weapons and equipment.

the United States for increasing Sino-US military ties, and also attaches great importance to transparency.

recent visit to South Korea, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington would “do everything possible to expand military ties with China.” He said: “The dialogue with China to share their own military purposes, to provide greater transparency, in line with our long-term interests.” In his view, such a dialogue between the two sides to avoid misunderstanding and misreading of the scenarios.

U.S. military this interaction, the loosening of the South China Sea stalemate began. Both sides confirmed in December this year, working meetings held in China and the U.S. Department of Defense and the Military Maritime Consultation Mechanism meeting.

the United States will be specially arranged visit to Xu and the U.S. Pacific Command, Strategic Command and other sensitive body, the intention is self-evident. Moreover, the consensus reached by both sides 7, the finale of the seventh section is “for the safety of maritime transport, to further develop the existing diplomatic channels and consultation mechanism”, the content is no doubt in the South China Sea (and even the Indian Ocean) and other U.S. presence intersection area of ??military establishment of military mutual trust.

take time to solve the South China Sea

However, the exchange does not mean that their differences began to eliminate in the short term, after all, trust is not achieved a slam dunk.

Although this year occurred in the South China Sea and Yellow Sea of ??China-US confrontation between the vessels was peacefully resolved, however, Glaser warned: “(bilateral military) relations could then be reversed.”

“between Beijing and Washington have set up a military hotline, but the real test is whether they will pick up the phone.” former U.S. Defense Department officials said Abraham Dan Mark.

military contacts with China is a direct result of the U.S. Pacific Command, the headquarters of the overall control of 300,000 officers and men of armed and Marine Corps, accounting for 20 percent of the U.S. armed forces, the area from Alaska to the Indian Ocean, involving 37 countries, China is the Pacific Command, “Eagle Eye,” the focus of attention. Recently retired commander of U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral 蒂莫西基廷 term in 2 and a half years has twice visited China, and actively promote China-US joint naval exercises. It is estimated that Keating and his staff at least 30% of the time devoted to handling relations with China.

present, in the Pacific, the U.S. military’s attitude toward the Chinese military is still dominated by suspicion and even hostility, a series of deployment is targeted. Keating stressed that U.S. forces leave and the strength did not decline, “China is not a threat” is actually a reflection of the emotional confrontation between the U.S. military.

“Even if we were the 3,000 soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pacific Command’s strength remains intact as early as 21 years ago, I just entered the service of the Pacific Command, the national experts and scholars on the predicted the decline of U.S. power in the Pacific. Today, even the rise of China, Russia to return to the Pacific, we can not assert the strength of the U.S. decline in Asia-Pacific region. “” Washington Watch “quoted Keating as saying. Keating also believes that, in assessing China’s military power, many defense experts are too concerned about the missiles, aircraft and warships to the hardware facilities, ignoring the invisible evaluation indicators, such as the level of training.

succeed Admiral Keating, Robert Willard said recently in Korea, over the past 10 years, China’s military power is growing faster than U.S. intelligence estimated. “They grow with unprecedented speed.” He said, “Our regional partners of China’s military significance for the entire region felt a little uncertain.” Willard also claimed that the United States the right to the waters near the South China Sea military and commercial activities “We do not intend to change anything.”

the future of Sino-US dialogue in line with the interests

course, China and the U.S. Asia-Pacific region’s current and future military structure does not mean that will produce a new Cold War Iron Curtain , through dialogue and cooperation in other international affairs, can be a win-win.

“We need to break the cycle of intermittent Sino-US military relations.” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said. He said that in the past, Sino-US military exchanges, “there have been big strides in the case, we have a good exchange of visits, we agree to cooperate on some issues, but will always be some unforeseen circumstances interrupt the two sides of the contact.”

now, “some of the issues of cooperation” has a strategic importance, such as the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which not only concerns the United States President Barack Obama can fulfill campaign promises, but also in China’s vital interests .

more practical significance is that through dialogue and exchanges can be limited at this stage of the friction that may arise in a certain range, to minimize its impact on bilateral relations.

an unnamed U.S. Defense Department official said the U.S. message is that dialogue with China is essential. “We should be able to discuss the proper atmosphere of policy differences between the two countries.” He said, “but the important point is that we can not let these policy differences brought about the crisis or even damage the bilateral relationship.”