Chinese Minister of Defense Liang Guanglie (梁光烈) told a Pentagon press conference on Monday that there had been “a kind of turnover” in US-China military relations since Washington announced a new arms package to Taiwan in September last year.
Liang, who was speaking following meetings with US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and earlier in the day with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, seemed to indicate that despite the sale, the relationship had improved.
While it is believed that arms sales to Taiwan were raised by the Chinese side at both meetings, no details were given during the joint Liang-Panetta press conference.
Photo: CNA
Neither mentioned Taiwan during formal opening statements.
However, in answer to one of the two questions that were allowed, Liang said: “Ever since last year — when the United States launched its new round of arms sales to Taiwan — we have postponed some of the engagement programs, including my visit to the United States and Secretary Panetta’s visit to China.”
“And here, I’m visiting the United States now, and I have invited Secretary Panetta to visit China later this year, which I would believe is a kind of turnover in the China-US military relationship even after the US arms sales to Taiwan,” he said.
Prior to Liang’s Washington meetings, US officials told the Taipei Times that they fully expected that the general would object to any future arms sales to Taiwan.
In particular, they expected him to ask for “clarification” on the recent White House promise to give “serious consideration” to selling F-16C/D aircraft to Taiwan.
Sources close to the administration of US President Barack Obama said the US would simply reply that as in the past they were obliged to fulfill their obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act.
However, what happened in the actual closed-door meetings is not known.
Panetta said his meeting with Liang had been “very productive” and that he had expressed a commitment to “achieving and maintaining a healthy, stable, reliable and continuous” military-to--military relationship with China.
“On regional security challenges, we talked about North Korea and other areas,” he said.
The discussion had included maritime areas, cyberspace, nuclear proliferation and missile -defense, Panetta said.
“We recognize that the United States and China will not always agree on every issue, but we believe our military-to-military dialogue is critical to ensuring that we avoid dangerous misunderstandings and misperceptions that could lead to [a] crisis,” he said.
“A positive, cooperative, comprehensive United States-China relationship is absolutely essential to achieving a secure Asia--Pacific region,” Panetta said.
Liang said he had an in-depth and candid discussion with Burns on the international security situation.
He said that discussions with Panetta had been “deep” and that both sides had committed to building a sound, stable and reliable military-to-military relationship.
“The China-US bilateral relationship is on a new starting line in history to build a new type of China-US military relationship based on equality, cooperation and mutual benefit,” Liang said.
He said China wanted to work with the US to “respect each other’s core interests and major concerns and to properly handle disagreements and differences.”
Liang is the first Chinese defense minister to visit the US in nine years.
His six-day trip, which ends tomorrow, has included stops at the San Diego naval base, Southern Command in Florida, Fort Benning in Georgia and other military sites.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS