China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Top brass visit Pentagon
Chinese and United States military leaders met at the Pentagon on Thursday to talk about how to strengthen cooperation and manage differences.
On the sunny Thursday morning, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter greeted China’s Central Military Commission Vice-Chairman Fan Changlong and his delegation as Fan’s motorcade arrived at 10 am at the Pentagon gate facing the Potomac River.
The two shook hands and then walked up the steps. They stood facing and saluting the enhanced honor cordon of more than 50 people, including a military band that played the national anthems of China and the United States. The two then met in the Pentagon for several hours for talks that were closed to the press.
Fan told Carter that the purpose of his visit is to implement the important consensus reached by the two nations’ leaders to push for a deepened and stable development of the bilateral military-to-military relationship, according to a press release by Fan’s delegation.
He was referring to the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama to build a new type of major country relationship.
“The Chinese and US militaries should strive to build a new type of military relationship characterized by ‘mutual trust, cooperation, no-confrontation and being sustainable,’” Fan was quoted as saying in the press release.
He hoped that the two sides would make concerted efforts to strengthen exchange, promote strategic mutual trust, step up practical cooperation and effectively manage and control crisis and risks.
Fan noted that the Nansha Islands and the neighboring waters have been an integral part of the Chinese territory since ancient times. He said the construction on some reefs and islets there and facility maintenance are mainly for the purpose of improving the living and working conditions of people there as well as to better protect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.
He said there is nothing wrong for China to deploy military facilities on its own territory, and hopes the US side will keep its stance of not taking side on the issue and reduce its air and naval activities in the South China Sea.
A Pentagon press release after the meeting said Carter and Fan exchanged views on key issues of mutual concern including military-to-military relations, regional security and maritime issues, including land reclamation in the South China Sea.
Carter stressed his commitment to developing a sustained and substantive US-China military-to-military relationship based on a shared desire to deepen practical, concrete cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including counter-piracy and constructive management of differences, according to the press release.
It said Carter reiterated US concerns on the South China Sea, and called on China and all claimants to implement a lasting halt on land reclamation, cease further militarization, and pursue a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in accordance with international law.