I share the admiral's "cautious optimism" on this one. The PLA is one army I really hope we never have to tangle with, because even I have no idea how to engage a sophisticated military of
2.3 million soldiers short of nuking their country to kingdom come...and they of course could lob some right back at us.
The part about Chinese military observing U.S. exercises and participating in U.S. training classes is a big deal, though, and demonstrates a big step forward in US-Sino military relations. I guess the big test will be next time a spy plane crash-lands over there...
Keating: U.S.-China military ties improving
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Sep 16, 2009 9:54:55 EDT
Interaction between the U.S. and Chinese militaries remains difficult and delicate, but the outgoing chief of the U.S. Pacific Command said Tuesday that he is “cautiously optimistic” about the relationship’s current tone.
“The relationship with China is complex. It’s important. It can be occasionally kind of disconcerting, a little bit tough to figure out sometimes,” Adm. Timothy Keating, who retires later this year after 42 years in the Navy, told defense reporters in a breakfast roundtable in Washington. “I am cautiously optimistic that we’re getting where we want to be. It is going to be a long, important slog.”
Keating said the Chinese government suspended dialogue between militaries in October after the announcement of a sale of U.S. arms to Taiwan. That dialogue resumed this summer after several meetings with U.S. officials in China, possibly allowing better insight into their forces.
“They are building submarines. They’ve got some 65 submarines. They’ve got some relatively sophisticated air force assets. Their defense budget is apparently growing,” he said. “It is hardly transparent to us how much money they spend, much less what they’re spending that money on.”
In an effort to build better relations, and better understand Chinese intentions, Keating said their military has been invited to observe U.S. and joint exercises, attend U.S. training schools and participate in humanitarian exercises.
“As yet we don’t have any firm response,” he said. “The Chinese have sent some observers to some of our exercises, [such as] last year’s Cobra Gold, a big multilateral exercise in Thailand.”
Link:
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/09/military_keating_pacific_command_091509w/