Chinese military leaders visit US. What do they want?
| Washington
It鈥檚 a historical first, a concert that America鈥檚 top Army officer estimates was 30 years in the making.
The Chinese People鈥檚 Liberation Army band is on its first visit to the US, making a joint appearance Monday night with the US Army band at Washington鈥檚 Kennedy Center.
鈥淲e think this is a great opportunity for the two militaries鈥� armies ... to come together and to begin to get to know each other,鈥� Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Army Chief of Staff, said.
It is no secret that tension between America and China has been growing along with China鈥檚 military ambitions and US arms sales to Taiwan. The hope is that what has jokingly been dubbed the 鈥渂attle of the bands鈥� will be a step toward helping to build a 鈥渟trong, stable鈥� partnership, Dempsey said.
The concert was a prelude to a visit this week by Gen. Chen Bingde, chief of the general staff of the People鈥檚 Liberation Army, along with seven other generals. It is the PLA鈥檚 first trip to America since China suspended military ties with the Pentagon early last year, after the US sold more than $6 billion in arms to Taiwan.
The question now is how much the military leaders can realistically hope to accomplish, given US concerns about the pace of China鈥檚 military buildup 鈥� and Chinese suspicions about American intentions in the Pacific.
In the past year, the Pentagon leadership has expressed growing concern about China鈥檚 cyberespionage forays and its robust Navy, including the possible launch of its first aircraft carrier later this year.
These trends are troubling to US military officials, who are seeking to expand American military presence in the Pacific.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very anxious to make sure that no one thinks we鈥檙e walking away from here,鈥� Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said last November, 鈥渂ecause we鈥檙e not.鈥�
Chinese efforts to flex its muscle in recent years have at times sent shockwaves through the Pentagon. China鈥檚 successful ballistic missile shoot-down of one of its own orbiting satellites in 2007 was a feat widely seen as an ominous move toward the militarization of space. 鈥淚鈥檓 increasingly concerned about where China seems to be heading with that,鈥� Mullen told the Monitor.
During this visit, leaders on both sides are seeking to strike a more conciliatory tone, especially since it鈥檚 on the heels of Chinese President Hu Jintao鈥檚 first state visit to the US in January.
Pentagon officials are particularly interested in opening lines of communication with their military counterparts and establishing crisis communication protocols for operating in the seas around China.
Chinese officials refer to these areas as their 鈥渘ear seas鈥� 鈥� areas to which they are 鈥渋ncreasingly seeking to prevent unwanted access,鈥� says Bonnie Glaser, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
鈥淭hey believe that vessels who operate in the seas must secure the coastal state鈥檚 approval to be there,鈥� Ms. Glaser says. 鈥淭he United States has a different interpretation.鈥�
While the Pentagon would like to see crisis communication protocols for operating in those seas, 鈥渢he Chinese attitude is, 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 belong here, so why would we want to make you feel safe?鈥� 鈥� says Dean Cheng, research fellow for Chinese political and security affairs at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
鈥淭he US attitude is, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to operate here. Why don鈥檛 we figure out how to make sure misunderstandings don鈥檛 get out of control?鈥� 鈥� Mr. Cheng adds. 鈥淚f there is no understanding, the US attitude is, 鈥榃e鈥檙e still going to be there.鈥� 鈥�
For its part, China wants the US to stop selling arms to Taiwan. 鈥淲hen you see all the Chinese talking points 鈥� about mutual respect and benefits 鈥� they all come back to, 鈥楧on鈥檛 sell arms to Taiwan,鈥� 鈥� Cheng says. 鈥淪o in some ways, it鈥檚 nice and simple.鈥�
Such arms sales are up to Congress to determine, however. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not as if Mullen can say, 鈥楢bsolutely, right,鈥� 鈥� Cheng adds.
For these reasons and others, 鈥淚 am under the impression that neither the Chinese nor the American sides are very optimistic about sustained military-to-military contact beyond the bare minimum for stability purposes,鈥� Cheng says.
鈥淭hrowing epaulets on the table and going outside to have a fistfight isn鈥檛 going to happen,鈥� says Cheng. 鈥淎nd yet neither side seems particularly interested in substantive talk.鈥� The result, he reckons, is 鈥渁 standstill.鈥�
