China Mil-To-Mil Ties

The commander of U.S. Pacific Command testified this morning before the House Armed Services Committee. In his prepared testimony, Navy Adm. Robert Willard stated that U.S.-China military-to-military relations "continue to lag well behind" other bilateral engagements for three main reasons:

Differences in philosophy regarding the purpose of military-to-military relations in which China emphasizes strategic dialogue and the U.S. seeks comprehensive military contact from the strategic to tactical levels as a way to build confidence; China's tendency to suspend military-to-military [interactions] following U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and, more generally, its linkage between certain U.S. defense policies and continuous bilateral military relations; and inherent Chinese distrust of U.S. regional intentions resulting in demands that perceived impediments to the relationship be conceded before military relations can advance.

Last month, the Defense Department welcomed a new statement from the Chinese defense ministry about the potential for improved bilateral military ties. Geng Yansheng, a spokesman for China's defense ministry, was quoted Feb. 23 touting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's recent official visit to the United States. Xi is slated to be China's next president. As we reported:

"This visit was of great significance to guiding the development of relations between the two countries and the two militaries," Geng said, as China's official Xinhau news agency reported. Further, the Chinese spokesman underscored the potential for improved ties with the Pentagon. "We are ready to work with the U.S. side, by observing the principles of mutual respect, trust, equality and mutual benefits, to respect and take care of each other's core interests and major concerns, properly handle differences and controversial issues, cultivate strategic mutual trust and push forward China-U.S. military links in a healthy and stable way," Geng said.

"We welcome the Chinese announcement that they are ready to advance military ties with the United States," Little said today. "We believe that a reliable, stable and healthy military relationship between the two countries is one of several means to enhance the bilateral relationship, work toward common goals and candidly address our differences."