There is “no other alternative” for the US and China but to boost military-to-military relations to manage disputes, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said yesterday.
A robust security dialogue between the two powers is key to the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region, Panetta told delegates to the Shangri-La Dialogue.
“Our relationship with China — we approach it in a very clear-eyed way. We are not naive about the relationship and neither is China,” he said in response to a question after a speech.
Photo: Reuters
“We both understand the differences we have, we both understand the conflicts we have, but we also both understand that there really is no other alternative but for both of us to engage and to improve our communications, and to improve our military-to-military relationship,” Panetta said.
Panetta said there would be “ups and downs” along the way, but it was vital to keep the lines of communication open.
“It’s to build that kind of relationship recognizing that we are going to have disputes ... that we are going to have conflicts, but also recognizing that it is in the interest of both China and the United States to resolve these issues in a peaceful way,” he said.
“That’s the only key to advancing their prosperity and to advancing our prosperity,” he added.
Before arriving in Singapore on Friday, Panetta told reporters aboard his plane that he had come away encouraged about the state of the US-China security dialogue after recent talks with his Chinese counterpart and other officials in Washington.
He said both powers must go beyond the mutual distrust that often characterized relations in the past.
“I think what both of us have to recognize is that we are powers in this region. We have common interests in this region, we have common obligations to try to promote peace and prosperity and security in this region,” he said at the Singapore summit.
In laying out core US principles in the region, Panetta made clear that Washington opposed any attempt by Beijing to make unilateral moves in its push for territorial rights in the oil-rich South China Sea.
Disputes had to be resolved through agreed-upon rules among all countries and based on international law, he said.
He also alluded to US concerns over China’s alleged cyber intrusions and spying, saying that in talks with Beijing the two sides had “agreed on the need to address responsible behavior in cyberspace and in outer space.”
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS