The Commander of the US Pacific Command Admiral Timothy Keating said Tuesday that the United States and China have agreed to resume military-to-military relations during the two-day Strategic and Economic Dialogue ((S&ED).
He called the decision a "significant agreement".
Briefing reporters at the Foreign Press Center in Washington, D.C., Keating said he had "important discussions" with a rear admiral from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), who is visiting Washington as a delegate for the S&ED talks.
"There was clear agreement on the need and desire to resume those talks," said Keating, referring to US-China military dialogues.
The agreement to resume normal military relations came after US President Barak Obama called for a "positive, constructive and comprehensive" relationship with China at the opening ceremony of the first US-China SED talks on Monday.
Amid uncertain financial and security prospects across the globe, both China and the United States stressed the necessity for the two countries to work together.
"The unmistakable theme of our conversations yesterday ... (was that) we want to continue to build upon the foundation of trust and mutual respect that our two countries have, as manifested by military-to-military relations," said Keating.
He said he agrees with what a Chinese official said during the meetings that no country can any longer develop a sound policy in isolation. "I think that's a great way of expressing the sense that all of us feel," Keating said.
Upon answering a question on the Chinese Ministry of Defense's plan to launch its official website on August 1, the Chinese Army's 82nd birthday, the Admiral said that access to information on Chinese military activities "could be very beneficial".
"This goes to our desire for more transparency and better understanding of Chinese military intentions," Keating said.
"Developing trust and mutual understanding is critical," he added.
According to Keating, it is the desire of the Pacific Command that US and Chinese militaries eventually participate in bilateral and multilateral exercises.
(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2009)
