海角大神

Easing China's concerns over the Pentagon's strategic "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific is high on the agenda of Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his visit to Beijing this week for the highest-level military talks between the two superpowers in two years.

It is a concerted campaign to win hearts and minds, and in that regard, General Dempsey has much with which to contend.聽

After a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US military is wagering that a focus on the other side of the globe is a better use of its resources. Senior US defense officials insist that this move is in no way a reaction to China鈥檚 ascendant military might.聽

China, on the other hand, sees it differently 鈥� namely, as a bit of an incursion on its turf.

A white paper released earlier this month by China鈥檚 People's Liberation Army warns ominously, if elliptically, that 鈥渟ome countries are strengthening their Asia-Pacific military alliances, expanding military presence in the region, and frequently making the situation there tenser.鈥�

It is clear to Pentagon officials that 鈥渟ome countries鈥� means the United States.

Indications this week are that Dempsey is making some headway in his quest to deepen military-to-military relations with his Chinese counterpart, which has long been a goal of US defense officials.

At a press conference, Dempsey鈥檚 counterpart, Gen. Fang Fenghui, allowed that 鈥渢he Pacific Ocean is wide enough to accommodate us both鈥� and that a couple of realistic goals for the two nations might include 鈥渢o respect each other鈥檚 co-interest鈥� in the region and to 鈥渁void vicious competition, friction, or even confrontation in this area.鈥�

Senior US military officials say they also made progress laying groundwork for more open communication between the two militaries and began developing 鈥渞ules of behavior鈥� meant to 鈥減revent or minimize misunderstandings or accidents when US and Chinese military forces operate in proximity to one another.鈥�

Tensions remain, however. 鈥淲e all know about your rebalance strategy,鈥� a Chinese reporter told Dempsey during Monday鈥檚 press conference. 鈥淲e cannot help but notice the frequent joint military exercises in the vicinity of China.鈥澛�

Such concerns within China are 鈥減robably the core of why I made this visit,鈥� Dempsey said.

But even as the United States endeavors to deepen its military ties with China, Dempsey pointedly stressed that it will do that only 鈥渋n the context of some of our other historic and enduring alliances.鈥澛�

This was Dempsey鈥檚 own reference to the US relationship with Asia-Pacific allies such as Taiwan, a recipient of US arms that the US is committed to defend and that China claims as its own.

There will be points at which these historical US alliances cause 鈥渇riction,鈥� he added, 鈥渁nd we鈥檒l have to review those.鈥澛�