International News
US hopes to revive stalled mly ties with China
Posted on: Thu July 29, 2010
International Highlights
WASHINGTON: The lack of sustained military ties between the United States and China is a key challenge for the two countries at a time of tensions in Asia, the US No 2 diplomat said on Tuesday.
Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said US policymakers continue to find a broad range of areas where we cooperate with China not only bilaterally, but regionally and globally from economic recovery to climate change to the Iran nuclear issue.
But military-to-military ties which China put on hold in anger at US arms sales to Taiwan earlier this year is an exception to a trend of broad official engagement, he said.
The most important (challenge) ... is the continued unwillingness of China to deepen the mil-mil engagement, Steinberg said in remarks at the Nixon Center in Washington.
We continue to stress that this is not a favor to one country or the other, but is absolutely critical to manage this very complex process of China s own economic growth and military modernization, he said.
After the Obama administration notified Congress in January of plans to sell Taiwan up to $6.4 billion in arms, China broke off military-to-military contacts with the United States. In June, China turned down a proposed fence-mending visit by Defence Secretary Robert Gates.
Courtesy : The News