Gates Arrives in China for Talks 美防长盖茨访华

Gates Arrives in China for Talks
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BEIJING


U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived here Nov. 4 for talks with Chinese leaders about a military buildup that has raised U.S. concerns about Beijing’s intentions.

A Chinese anti-satellite test in January, advances in cyber warfare, and the development of missiles capable of striking U.S. naval forces and air bases at long ranges have fueled the unease, officials said.

“These increasing capabilities and this capacity raises questions with us and our allies,” a senior defense official traveling with Gates said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Getting a clearer understanding of China’s intentions is at the heart of Gates’ two-day visit, the official said, adding that Washington has not yet concluded that China has become a military threat.

“We’re not in that part of the game yet,” he said. “We are in the part of the game of exploring what’s really happening, what’s really going on, encouraging China to understand that it is more and more important to all of us, including China, to have that understanding.”

Gates meets Nov. 5 with Defense Minister Cao Guangchan; Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo; General Guo Boxiong, the senior vice chairman of the Central Military Commission; and General Xu Caihou, vice chairman.

On Nov. 6, he is scheduled to meet President Hu Jintao, who chairs the military committee and has overseen sharp increases in China’s military budgets, which rose 17.8 percent this year to 45 billion dollars.

The Pentagon estimates that Chinese annual military spending is higher than advertised, up to 125 billion dollars a year, and has closely followed its acquisition and deployment in recent years of sophisticated aircraft, warships, submarines and missiles.

Gates, who is making his first visit to China as defense secretary, is the most senior U.S. official to meet with the Chinese leadership since the recent 17th Communist Party Congress.

Senior U.S. defense officials said the visit will be an opportunity to gauge the impact of the leadership changes on China’s policies and diplomatic priorities.

“It’s likely that the views of the Chinese leadership towards some, if not all of these issues, may be changing over time as they look at the regional reactions to their military activities,” said a second senior U.S. official.

Among the issues Gates is expected to raise is China’s opposition to further U.N. sanctions against Iran for pressing ahead with its uranium enrichment program, the officials said.

Resistance to tougher U.N. action has come from China and Russia, both veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. officials also hope to learn more about China’s January 11 anti-satellite test, which Gates has said exposed the vulnerability of U.S. space systems in low Earth orbit to attack by Chinese ballistic missiles.

“All the questions we had before we still have now,” said the senior defense official of the test.

The officials said military relations with China have been improving despite the uncertainties but they wanted to see military exchanges and visits to broaden and deepen.

The U.S. side expects to see progress on establishing a telephone hotline between the Pentagon and the Chinese Defense Ministry, officials said.

The senior defense official said he hoped the Chinese would move away from “canned talking points, move away from a rehash of things we’ve done before, and get into a broader strategic dialogue.” Gates Arrives in China for Talks
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BEIJING


U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived here Nov. 4 for talks with Chinese leaders about a military buildup that has raised U.S. concerns about Beijing’s intentions.

A Chinese anti-satellite test in January, advances in cyber warfare, and the development of missiles capable of striking U.S. naval forces and air bases at long ranges have fueled the unease, officials said.

“These increasing capabilities and this capacity raises questions with us and our allies,” a senior defense official traveling with Gates said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Getting a clearer understanding of China’s intentions is at the heart of Gates’ two-day visit, the official said, adding that Washington has not yet concluded that China has become a military threat.

“We’re not in that part of the game yet,” he said. “We are in the part of the game of exploring what’s really happening, what’s really going on, encouraging China to understand that it is more and more important to all of us, including China, to have that understanding.”

Gates meets Nov. 5 with Defense Minister Cao Guangchan; Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo; General Guo Boxiong, the senior vice chairman of the Central Military Commission; and General Xu Caihou, vice chairman.

On Nov. 6, he is scheduled to meet President Hu Jintao, who chairs the military committee and has overseen sharp increases in China’s military budgets, which rose 17.8 percent this year to 45 billion dollars.

The Pentagon estimates that Chinese annual military spending is higher than advertised, up to 125 billion dollars a year, and has closely followed its acquisition and deployment in recent years of sophisticated aircraft, warships, submarines and missiles.

Gates, who is making his first visit to China as defense secretary, is the most senior U.S. official to meet with the Chinese leadership since the recent 17th Communist Party Congress.

Senior U.S. defense officials said the visit will be an opportunity to gauge the impact of the leadership changes on China’s policies and diplomatic priorities.

“It’s likely that the views of the Chinese leadership towards some, if not all of these issues, may be changing over time as they look at the regional reactions to their military activities,” said a second senior U.S. official.

Among the issues Gates is expected to raise is China’s opposition to further U.N. sanctions against Iran for pressing ahead with its uranium enrichment program, the officials said.

Resistance to tougher U.N. action has come from China and Russia, both veto-wielding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. officials also hope to learn more about China’s January 11 anti-satellite test, which Gates has said exposed the vulnerability of U.S. space systems in low Earth orbit to attack by Chinese ballistic missiles.

“All the questions we had before we still have now,” said the senior defense official of the test.

The officials said military relations with China have been improving despite the uncertainties but they wanted to see military exchanges and visits to broaden and deepen.

The U.S. side expects to see progress on establishing a telephone hotline between the Pentagon and the Chinese Defense Ministry, officials said.

The senior defense official said he hoped the Chinese would move away from “canned talking points, move away from a rehash of things we’ve done before, and get into a broader strategic dialogue.”