China 'not viewed as an adversary'
Source: Agencies |
December 9, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE strengthening of US military alliances in Asia is not aimed at containing China, a top Pentagon official said yesterday after annual defense talks between the two militaries.
United States President Barack Obama said on a trip to Asia last month that the US was "here to stay" and reached a deal to put a de facto military base in northern Australia.
China's military denounced the plan at the time, warning it could erode trust and fan Cold War-era antagonism.
US Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy said she told her Chinese counterparts, including General Ma Xiaotian, that the moves were aimed at reassuring countries in the region of the continuing US presence and boosting defense interoperability with Australia.
"We assured General Ma and his delegation that the US does not seek to contain China. We do not view China as an adversary," Flournoy told reporters in Beijing.
"This really isn't about China. This is about Australia and ensuring that we remain present in the region in a way that is really relevant to the kinds of, particularly nontraditional, challenges that we face," she said.
Many Chinese are convinced the US moves are aimed at a rising China, while many in the US also see them as an attempt to curb growing "Chinese assertiveness," an impression shored up by Obama during his Asian visit.
Although China's military lashed out at recent US arms sales to Taiwan and other actions, Beijing's decision to proceed with this week's talks appears to show it is placing a new importance on regular contact between the sides.
In his opening remarks on Wednesday, Ma said the 12th round of US-China Defense Consultative Talks showed that both sides were committed to improving relations, managing and controlling risks and avoiding miscalculation.
Flournoy said the sides agreed to discuss rescheduling a series of exchanges postponed by China after Washington's announcement in September of a US$5.85 billion package to upgrade Taiwan's F-16 fleet.
Those include visits by the US Army Band and Admiral Robert Willard, head of the US Pacific Command, along with joint anti-piracy exercises off Somalia and a military medical exchange.
The US is expecting a visit next year by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.
Flournoy said the sides also discussed issues including North Korea's nuclear programs, disputes in the South China Sea, and uprisings in the Middle East and Africa.
Specific developments in military technology were not discussed, despite China's recent advancements in missile technology and the launch of an aircraft carrier.
However, Flournoy described the Chinese carrier as long anticipated and said the US expected further explanations of its future use as part of steps toward greater transparency.
"In many ways it is a logical outgrowth of China's overall military development. I think we have yet to hear how they really see this."
United States President Barack Obama said on a trip to Asia last month that the US was "here to stay" and reached a deal to put a de facto military base in northern Australia.
China's military denounced the plan at the time, warning it could erode trust and fan Cold War-era antagonism.
US Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy said she told her Chinese counterparts, including General Ma Xiaotian, that the moves were aimed at reassuring countries in the region of the continuing US presence and boosting defense interoperability with Australia.
"We assured General Ma and his delegation that the US does not seek to contain China. We do not view China as an adversary," Flournoy told reporters in Beijing.
"This really isn't about China. This is about Australia and ensuring that we remain present in the region in a way that is really relevant to the kinds of, particularly nontraditional, challenges that we face," she said.
Many Chinese are convinced the US moves are aimed at a rising China, while many in the US also see them as an attempt to curb growing "Chinese assertiveness," an impression shored up by Obama during his Asian visit.
Although China's military lashed out at recent US arms sales to Taiwan and other actions, Beijing's decision to proceed with this week's talks appears to show it is placing a new importance on regular contact between the sides.
In his opening remarks on Wednesday, Ma said the 12th round of US-China Defense Consultative Talks showed that both sides were committed to improving relations, managing and controlling risks and avoiding miscalculation.
Flournoy said the sides agreed to discuss rescheduling a series of exchanges postponed by China after Washington's announcement in September of a US$5.85 billion package to upgrade Taiwan's F-16 fleet.
Those include visits by the US Army Band and Admiral Robert Willard, head of the US Pacific Command, along with joint anti-piracy exercises off Somalia and a military medical exchange.
The US is expecting a visit next year by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.
Flournoy said the sides also discussed issues including North Korea's nuclear programs, disputes in the South China Sea, and uprisings in the Middle East and Africa.
Specific developments in military technology were not discussed, despite China's recent advancements in missile technology and the launch of an aircraft carrier.
However, Flournoy described the Chinese carrier as long anticipated and said the US expected further explanations of its future use as part of steps toward greater transparency.
"In many ways it is a logical outgrowth of China's overall military development. I think we have yet to hear how they really see this."
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