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US admiral sees many `challenges' in US-China ties

The commander of US forces in the Pacific said that Americans face "significant challenges" in dealing with China because of issues like the Taiwan Strait, but he hopes to deepen bilateral understanding by boosting defense ties.

Admiral William Fallon said a confluence of factors complicate relations between the Pacific's two biggest military powers, such as Beijing's threat to use force to unite Taiwan and China, and Beijing's ballooning trade surplus with the US.

Fallon, who oversees US military forces in an area stretching from the US West Coast to the Indian Ocean, said the complexities and challenges faced by the region meant the two nations would need to cooperate.

"There is ample ground for common work in many areas," Fallon said in an interview on Wednesday at Camp H.M. Smith overlooking Pearl Harbor. "I'd like to explore areas in which we can move forward in a useful manner."

He said the countries have common interests, ranging from prodding North Korea to get rid of its nuclear weapons to ensuring the safe passage of trade through the Malacca Straits in Southeast Asia.

The need for an international response to natural disasters like the Dec. 26 tsunami in the Indian Ocean added to the reasons the countries should work together, he said.

Fallon hopes to visit China, perhaps sometime this year, and build relationships with his Chinese counterparts. Chinese officials and the US Embassy in Beijing were working out dates and details for a trip, said Fallon, who took over the command in February.

Personal interaction is key, he said.

"It's been my experience that unless we get to know people, we tend to view them through the lens of suspicion, of ignorance. We begin to rely upon secondhand opinions and rumors rather than our own firsthand experiences," Fallon said.

If Washington approves, Fallon said, he hopes to build on the military ties between the two nations, which now are limited to a small number of port visits and the exchange of senior-level personnel.

The Chinese military has come under increasing scrutiny as Beijing has sharply boosted defense spending in recent years.

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in May asked why China was increasing its investment so dramatically if it wasn't threatened by another country.

Fallon said the US was not providing China with a reason to build up its forces.

"I don't see a threat, I don't want to be perceived as the military commander here to be offering or proposing a threat to China," Fallon said.

On Taiwan, Fallon said the US was committed to current policies regarding Taiwan and China, meaning the unspoken deal under which Beijing refrains from attacking Taiwan so long as it doesn't declare independence.

"We are not in favor of unilateral actions that would upset the status quo while we give the parties the opportunity to work together to come up with a solution that's going to be peacefully acceptable to all those concerned," Fallon said.

He added he would do his utmost so that the situation was resolved peacefully.

Also see story:
US must plan for Chinese military buildup: analysts
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