US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called for deeper military ties with Beijing, telling a top Chinese general on Tuesday that it was time to end a pattern of “on-again, off-again” relations.
In a meeting with General Xu Caihou (徐才厚), China’s second-ranking officer, Gates stressed the need to preserve a lasting dialogue between the US and Chinese militaries regardless of disputes or policy differences, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said.
“There is a need to break the on-again, off-again cycle of our military-to-military relationship,” said Morrell, briefing reporters on the meeting.
The talks marked the highest-level visit by the Chinese military since 2006. Xu’s weeklong visit is the latest in a long effort to improve US-Chinese military ties. It also comes ahead of US President Barack Obama’s first official trip to China from Nov. 15 to Nov. 18.
Xu was open to more military cooperation but cited obstacles, such as US military support for Taiwan and the presence of US surveillance ships in waters that Beijing considers its economic exclusion zone, said a US defense official, who asked not to be named.
Gates portrayed the military dialogue as a crucial way of airing differences over maritime law or other issues, the official said.
“We ought to be able to talk about those policy disagreements in an appropriate setting, but the important thing is we shouldn’t let those policy disagreements lead us to take actions that might precipitate a crisis or undermine the entire bilateral relationship,” the official said.
Xu supported more military contacts, Morrell said, inviting Gates to visit China next year, along with the top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, and the new head of US Pacific Command, Admiral Robert Willard.
The pair agreed “to improve military maritime operational and tactical safety” when the two armed forces operate near each other, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The talks on maritime operations were set for December. Such discussions appeared aimed at avoiding a repeat of standoffs earlier this year that saw Chinese vessels confront US surveillance ships.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned