US national security adviser Tom Donilon promotes military ties in Beijing
National security adviser sets the stage for a summit between Xi Jinping and Barack Obama
US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon pushed for stronger military ties with China yesterday, the final day of a visit to Beijing to set the stage for a presidential summit next month between Xi Jinping and Barack Obama.
Non-traditional military activities such as peacekeeping, disaster relief and anti-piracy operations offer opportunities to boost co-operation and "contribute to greater mutual confidence and understanding", Donilon told General Fan Changlong , a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.
A "healthy, stable, and reliable military-to-military relationship" is an essential part of Sino-US ties, Donilon said at the Defence Ministry building in Beijing.
In another high-profile defence meeting, senior Chinese and US military officials in Beijing yesterday pledged further naval co-operation.
Deputy Chief of General Staff Qi Jianguo told visiting US Pacific Fleet Commander Cecil Haney that China would work with the United States to deepen military trust and co-operation, Xinhua reported.
Donilon, meanwhile, met Chinese officials over two days to hammer out plans for the June 7-8 summit, the first face-to-face meeting between the presidents since Obama's re-election and Xi's promotion to Communist Party chief in November.
Their informal summit at the private Sunnylands estate of the late publishing tycoon Walter Annenberg in southern California will come months before the two leaders had been originally scheduled to meet, underscoring concerns that the US-China relationship is drifting.
