According to the Xinhua News Agency, Ma said during the talks that the militaries share a broad range of common interests, but the main issues of contention are US arms sales to Taiwan, Congress’restrictions on military exchanges between the two countries and the US air and sea military surveillance operations in China’s exclusive economic zones.
Li said, “Military exchanges between China and the US are necessary, because both nations advocate and expect peace and development. The US needs to understand China’s military needs.”
Gregson said the effort to develop capabilities such as anti-ship ballistic missiles, anti-satellite weapons and advanced submarines do cause concerns in the US and elsewhere. He also called upon China to become more transparent on its military capabilities.
Regardless of the different views between the two countries, Ma and Flournoy have agreed that ties between the two armed forces are an integral part of bilateral ties, the two countries’ militaries should maintain dialogue and exchanges at various levels to enhance mutual understanding and avoid miscalculations, Xinhua reported.
China and the US also agreed on a schedule that will bring US Defense Secretary Robert Gates to China next month, before Chief of the General Staff of the PLA Chen Bingde pays a visit to the US in 2011, the report said.