Defense officials meet in Beijing
Source: Xinhua |
December 8, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINESE and US defense officials met in Beijing yesterday for their highest-level contacts since recent friction over US arms sales to Taiwan.
They held their 12th round of defense consultations aimed at controlling risks and avoiding miscalculation between their militaries.
"The fact that the consultations took place as scheduled shows that both countries are sincere about maintaining military exchanges," Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said at the start of the annual consultations.
China is always supportive of the development of China-US military relations and spares no effort on it, said Ma, noting that a healthy and stable relationship between the two militaries helps control crisis and prevent risks.
However, the military relationship between the two sides has not always been smooth sailing in recent years.
The consultations marked the first engagement between the defense ministries since the US announced its US$5.85 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including upgrades for 145 fighter jets, in September.
China vehemently opposed the sale, saying it created severe obstacles for normal military-to-military exchanges.
Ma urged the US to remove the obstacles to push forward China-US military relations during the consultations.
The arms sale to Taiwan acts to restrict the two militaries' contacts, and close-in reconnaissance activities by US aircraft and ships remain major obstacles, Ma said.
Michele Flournoy, US Undersecretary of Defense, who leads the US delegation, said at the start of the talks that the US was looking forward to having the opportunity to "candidly discuss differences."
Ma said: "With our joint efforts, we hope we can make positive contributions to China-US relations, one of the most important bilateral relations in the world."
Flournoy said a healthy, stable and reliable military relationship was significant to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.
They held their 12th round of defense consultations aimed at controlling risks and avoiding miscalculation between their militaries.
"The fact that the consultations took place as scheduled shows that both countries are sincere about maintaining military exchanges," Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said at the start of the annual consultations.
China is always supportive of the development of China-US military relations and spares no effort on it, said Ma, noting that a healthy and stable relationship between the two militaries helps control crisis and prevent risks.
However, the military relationship between the two sides has not always been smooth sailing in recent years.
The consultations marked the first engagement between the defense ministries since the US announced its US$5.85 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including upgrades for 145 fighter jets, in September.
China vehemently opposed the sale, saying it created severe obstacles for normal military-to-military exchanges.
Ma urged the US to remove the obstacles to push forward China-US military relations during the consultations.
The arms sale to Taiwan acts to restrict the two militaries' contacts, and close-in reconnaissance activities by US aircraft and ships remain major obstacles, Ma said.
Michele Flournoy, US Undersecretary of Defense, who leads the US delegation, said at the start of the talks that the US was looking forward to having the opportunity to "candidly discuss differences."
Ma said: "With our joint efforts, we hope we can make positive contributions to China-US relations, one of the most important bilateral relations in the world."
Flournoy said a healthy, stable and reliable military relationship was significant to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.
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