Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and General
Chen Bingde, commander of the People's Liberation Army General Staff,
hold a press conference at the Pentagon, May 19.
Huanqui, People's
Republic of China
Blunt Talk Reflects
Improved Sino-U.S. Military Relations
Is it a good sign when one of
China's top military leaders accuses the United States of being a 'big bully?'
According to this editorial from China's state-controlled Huanqui, America's
war 'hawks' need to reconsider their logic when it comes to issues like selling
weapons to Taiwan, and that only through a frank and open dialogue can future military
confrontations be avoided.
At a May 19 press conference in
the United States, commanding general of the People's Liberation Army General
Staff, Chen Bingde
[陈炳德], very bluntly accused the United States of being a "big
bully" [video above]. This reflects contemporary Chinese military confidence
and the frank exchange of ideas between the U.S. and Chinese militaries.
The core element for the
development of Sino-U.S. relations is military affairs. While interactions at every
level of the economy, trade and government have become frequent and frank, the
military dialogue in particular cannot serve only to please and relax. Straightforward
and clear communication is essential for addressing difficult issues.
This type of healthy
atmosphere doesn’t just fall from the sky, but is a result of political spats
between the two countries and efforts by the two sides to try and figure out the
other. For a long period of time, whenever there was a crisis, military
exchanges between the two sides were the first to be broken. This type of back-and-forth
has marked public opinion about Sino-U.S. military affairs, and has led to faulty decision making.
In fact in recent years,
progress on some non-strategic levels has been made, such as a military
hotline, exchanges of young and middle-level military officers, logistics, art
and sports exchanges. Though such exchanges don’t seem particularly conspicuous,
they do serve as a basis for creating a more solid foundation.
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
Sino-U.S. military relations are
beginning to transcend the imaginations of the hawks. Over the past decade or
so, both sides have endured all kinds of ordeals, such as issues related to the
Taiwan Strait, the bombing
of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, an air collision [the Hainan Island Incident],
and other peripheral conflicts, which in turn have resulted in a set of
implicit rules that ensure, "fights without splitting."
Such a playing
field should be attributed to accurate
positioning and rational decision making. The theory of "Mutually Assured
Destruction" that prevailed during the nuclear age dissuaded the two countries from
going to war, and gradually became an unwritten understanding. Within such a
framework, the language of confrontation, differences over strategic deterrence
and even military conflicts can be easily avoided.
During the 18th century,
England and France fought for supremacy over the Western world; during the 19th
century, France and Germany fought to seize the territory of the other; and
during the 20th century, Japan and the U.S. fought a desperate and decisive life-or-death
battle. The lessons of history illustrate the need, in this age of
globalization, for the armies of China and America to walk shoulder to shoulder
with strategic skill and great wisdom.
The central trends of
military reorganization in the Asia-Pacific and the world have significantly improved
the strategic trust between the U.S. and China. Both militaries have taken on
the responsibility of erecting a historic military signpost for the world.
In this context, the comments
of General Chen
Bingde went straight to the heart of the matter. America’s military
hawks should readjust their logic. For example, if the United States stops selling
weapons to Taiwan, that would mean giving up on Taiwan. Or, that not causing
friction along China’s coastal areas is synonymous with giving up on the island
chain issue. This simplistic manner of U.S. assessment, oversimplification, hypersensitivity
and politicization is what generates a lack of trust between the two
militaries, makes stepping back from confrontation more difficult, and creates unpredictable
patterns in future situations.
Sino-U.S. military exchanges can
take occasional sidesteps, but they must continue moving
forward. The two countries shouldn't act impulsively, but they must have the
courage to try new things. The chances of a great war breaking out between the
U.S. and China is far lower than it was in the past, but to ensure future security,
we must build greater trust. Perhaps through more concrete cooperation, new
breakthroughs can be achieved.
