BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Defense Minister Chi
Haotian said Thursday that China is ready to make joint efforts with the
U.S. to improve military relations.
He stated this during a meeting with Peter W. Rodman,
assistantsecretary of the U.S. defense department. Rodman also expressed
the same view on bilateral military relations.
"The U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has dispatched me
here to explore ways to promote relations between the two armedforces,"
Rodman said.
Rodman is the highest U.S. defense official to visit China since
the collision between a U.S. surveillance plane and a Chinese fighter
plane last April.
Sino-U.S. military relations have had their ups and downs over the
past two years and Chi said that the U.S. should take full responsibility
for the twists and turns in bilateral ties.
"We hope that the two sides will pay full consideration to the
development of Sino-U.S. military relations and develop military
cooperation on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and trust," he added.
This year, the Chinese and the U.S. presidents have met twice in
four months, reached consensus on developing constructive and cooperative
relations, and given their support to the developmentof military
relations.
Earlier this year, Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao visited
theU.S., and reached common ground with Rumsfeld on improving
contactbetween the two armed forces.
Chi said that China and the U.S. are both influential countriesand
both shoulder responsibility for world peace and human development, and
therefore developing stable and healthy Sino-U.S.relations would be in the
interest of the peoples of the two countries.
He said that Chinese military values its relations with its
U.S.counterpart, and over two decades of contact between the two
armedforces have promoted mutual understanding, reduced the differencesand
mistrust, improved their friendship, and pushed forward relations between
the two countries.
During the meeting, Chi, also vice chairman of the Central Military
Commission and a state councilor, reaffirmed the Chinese government's
stance on the Taiwan issue, the most important and sensitive issue in
Sino-U.S. relations.
He said that China will settle the Taiwan issue according to
"peaceful reunification, one country and two systems," and the eight
proposals raised by President Jiang Zemin, and China's stance on the issue
is unambiguous and consistent.
He stressed that the Taiwan issue relates to Chinese territorial
integrity, and China hopes that the U.S. will conscientiously observe the
three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, adhere to the one-China policy and
handle the Taiwan issue correctly so as to play a constructive role in
promoting peaceful reunification.
Chi expressed appreciation for the reiteration by the U.S. defense
department on one-China policy and on its not supporting Taiwan's
independence.
Rodman arrived in Beijing Tuesday evening, and Xiong Guangkai,
deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army,
and Li Zhaoxing, vice foreign minister met with him Wednesday. Zhan
Maohai, director of the foreign affairs officeof the national defense
ministry, also held talks with him.
Rodman said that his talks with the Chinese side are "frank" and
"constructive".
He said that relations between the U.S. and China are important,and
the U.S. hopes to further improve the military relations with China.
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