Beijing:
The leaders of China's and America's militaries sought on Monday to cast aside decades of hostility between the two establishments, pledging at a joint news conference here to pursue what they separately called a "great opportunity" to create a "shared vision" of cooperation.
But neither indicated that his government was willing to alter positions on issues like Taiwan and the South China Sea that have long hamstrung better relations. And the Chinese leader, Gen. Chen Bingde, quickly voiced a string of complaints about American military policies that suggested their shared vision remained a distant dream.
General Chen and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were midway through three days of talks on Monday, following up on a visit to Washington in May by General Chen, the chief of the People's Liberation Army general staff. Both men are under orders to improve the military relationship, one outcome of a summit last January between President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China.
Monday's news conference brought some evidence of progress toward that goal. The two sides agreed to hold counter-piracy manoeuvres in the Gulf of Aden by year's end, to hold talks on operational safety in Hawaii and China and to plan exercises in humanitarian relief for 2012. Such joint operations have been rare in recent years.
Admiral Mullen and General Chen also had warm words for each other. General Chen praised Adm. Mullen's "tremendous efforts" to improve military relations, adding that the unprecedented talks and exchanges of visits between the two sides this year send "a very positive message to the international community of the shared commitment of the two militaries."
Admiral Mullen said that the two sides "can shrink from this great opportunity, or we can rise to meet it."
"I believe I speak for General Chen when I say we both seek the latter," he added.
But there appeared to be little if any progress on the major issues that divide the two sides, something General Chen underscored in his remarks. In the 90-minute session, he complained about a recent trip to the United States by the Dalai Lama, whom the Chinese accuse of promoting Tibetan independence and reconnaissance by American aircraft and ships off the Chinese coast. Among the main topics of Monday morning talks with Admiral Mullen, he said, was the attitude of unnamed American politicians toward China.
Three times, he raised complaints about recent American naval manoeuvres in or near the South China Sea, including a joint exercise this week with the Australian and Japanese navies and a late June exercise with the Philippines navy.
Admiral Mullen said the exercises were both small and long-scheduled. But General Chen was unsatisfied, noting that China had recently clashed with Vietnam and the Philippines over territorial claims in the region. "At the least, I think this is bad timing," he said, adding later, "It's not that difficult a thing to change a schedule."
United States officials took similar offense in January, when China's air force elected to stage the much-ballyhooed first test flight of its new stealth fighter jet on the day that Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived for talks with senior Chinese leaders. The Chinese called it a coincidence.
Answering questions later, General Chen said that Chinese weapons experts were still conducting research and development on a new anti-ship missile system that experts have cast as a serious threat to American aircraft carriers that patrol the region. Adm. Robert Willard, who commands the United States Navy's Pacific fleet, had said last December that the missile had reached initial operational capability, an important benchmark on the road to deployment.
Asked to explain the rapid expansion and modernization of China's military, General Chen quoted the former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who said the P.L.A. would have to be patient until ordinary people's needs were met. Many of the improvements in the force were needed years ago but were deferred, he said.
He dismissed American concerns that the Chinese were deploying new and modern weapons to counter American forces, repeating China's standard explanation that the military is a defensive force. China's military technology is decades behind that of the Pentagon and will remain so, he said, and its spending is far behind that of the United States.
Indeed, he suggested, Americans should consider cutting their military budget. "The United States is still recovering from the financial crisis, still has difficulties in its economy," he said. "It would be a better thing if you did not spend so much money on the military and a little bit more in other areas, so as to play a very positive role, a very constructive role in world peace and stability."
But neither indicated that his government was willing to alter positions on issues like Taiwan and the South China Sea that have long hamstrung better relations. And the Chinese leader, Gen. Chen Bingde, quickly voiced a string of complaints about American military policies that suggested their shared vision remained a distant dream.
General Chen and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were midway through three days of talks on Monday, following up on a visit to Washington in May by General Chen, the chief of the People's Liberation Army general staff. Both men are under orders to improve the military relationship, one outcome of a summit last January between President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China.
Monday's news conference brought some evidence of progress toward that goal. The two sides agreed to hold counter-piracy manoeuvres in the Gulf of Aden by year's end, to hold talks on operational safety in Hawaii and China and to plan exercises in humanitarian relief for 2012. Such joint operations have been rare in recent years.
Admiral Mullen and General Chen also had warm words for each other. General Chen praised Adm. Mullen's "tremendous efforts" to improve military relations, adding that the unprecedented talks and exchanges of visits between the two sides this year send "a very positive message to the international community of the shared commitment of the two militaries."
Admiral Mullen said that the two sides "can shrink from this great opportunity, or we can rise to meet it."
"I believe I speak for General Chen when I say we both seek the latter," he added.
But there appeared to be little if any progress on the major issues that divide the two sides, something General Chen underscored in his remarks. In the 90-minute session, he complained about a recent trip to the United States by the Dalai Lama, whom the Chinese accuse of promoting Tibetan independence and reconnaissance by American aircraft and ships off the Chinese coast. Among the main topics of Monday morning talks with Admiral Mullen, he said, was the attitude of unnamed American politicians toward China.
Three times, he raised complaints about recent American naval manoeuvres in or near the South China Sea, including a joint exercise this week with the Australian and Japanese navies and a late June exercise with the Philippines navy.
Admiral Mullen said the exercises were both small and long-scheduled. But General Chen was unsatisfied, noting that China had recently clashed with Vietnam and the Philippines over territorial claims in the region. "At the least, I think this is bad timing," he said, adding later, "It's not that difficult a thing to change a schedule."
United States officials took similar offense in January, when China's air force elected to stage the much-ballyhooed first test flight of its new stealth fighter jet on the day that Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived for talks with senior Chinese leaders. The Chinese called it a coincidence.
Answering questions later, General Chen said that Chinese weapons experts were still conducting research and development on a new anti-ship missile system that experts have cast as a serious threat to American aircraft carriers that patrol the region. Adm. Robert Willard, who commands the United States Navy's Pacific fleet, had said last December that the missile had reached initial operational capability, an important benchmark on the road to deployment.
Asked to explain the rapid expansion and modernization of China's military, General Chen quoted the former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who said the P.L.A. would have to be patient until ordinary people's needs were met. Many of the improvements in the force were needed years ago but were deferred, he said.
He dismissed American concerns that the Chinese were deploying new and modern weapons to counter American forces, repeating China's standard explanation that the military is a defensive force. China's military technology is decades behind that of the Pentagon and will remain so, he said, and its spending is far behind that of the United States.
Indeed, he suggested, Americans should consider cutting their military budget. "The United States is still recovering from the financial crisis, still has difficulties in its economy," he said. "It would be a better thing if you did not spend so much money on the military and a little bit more in other areas, so as to play a very positive role, a very constructive role in world peace and stability."
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