Gates Wants to Improve Relationship with Chinese Military

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates welcomed a senior Chinese general to the Pentagon on Tuesday and told him that he would like to see an improvement in the military relationship between their two countries.

In the meeting, which reportedly lasted between an hour and 75 minutes, Mr Gates is said to have told General Xu Caihou, a vice-chairman of the People's Liberation Army Central Military Commission, that he wanted to see an end to the "on-again-off-again cycle" of the military relationship between China and the U.S. As AndreaNews notes, quoting a report by the China Daily, only last year China suspended talks between the U.S. military and its own military in protest at an arms sale worth $6.5 billion the U.S. made to Taiwan. In addition the Voice of America refers to anger in Beijing at U.S. Navy ships operating inside China's economic zone, operations the U.S. maintains are perfectly legal. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell did not indicate after the meeting how specifically General Xu responded to Mr Gates' suggestion that military disputes between the U.S. and China, such as the one involving the arms sale to Taiwan, are better resolved by continuous dialogue but he did say that "there was a general appreciation for the need to continue to build on our military-to-military relationship, and to continue to take advantage of opportunities for cooperation and exchanges". Mr Morrell added that Secretary Gates had praised China's efforts in becoming more transparent regarding its military plans and capabilities but had encouraged yet more transparency in the future. Secretary Gates is due to visit China early in 2010 and other high level visits are planned, as are exchanges between more junior members of the American and Chinese governments. The Pentagon said that cooperation on issues surrounding Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as on humanitarian issues and other matters such as terrorism and piracy, was also agreed. On Monday General Xu gave a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington in which he said that the Sino-American relationship at a military level may be subject to some future "shocks of adversity" but China nevertheless was committed to making the relationship work in light of its importance to the whole world. General Xu reiterated that despite increased military spending in recent years, which he said has been for defensive purposes, China still lagged some way behind the U.S. when it comes to the level of military spending and the capability that expenditure produces. According to AndhraNews the general acknowledged too that since President Obama came to office, the president will be visiting China next month, military relations between his country and the U.S. have improved. Whilst at the Pentagon General Xu laid a wreath in memory of the 184 victims of the attack there on September 11 2001.