China to increase military exchanges, says President Xi, but US rethinks plans for further ties
Pledge by president coincides with report suggesting US is rethinking expansion of ties until rules for airborne encounters are agreed
President Xi Jinping vowed to step up military exchanges with other nations yesterday, but there were reports that the Pentagon had decided against increasing interaction with the People's Liberation Army.
In a meeting with military officers in Beijing, Xi, also the chairman of the Central Military Commission, said exchanges played a significant role in national security and that military authorities should stick to the Communist Party's "absolute leadership" in exchanges with other nations.
Xi's remarks coincided with a Wall Street Journal report that the Pentagon had put on hold efforts to expand major military exchanges with the PLA until the two countries could agree on rules for airborne encounters.
The report cited Republican congressman Randy Forbes as saying that the Pentagon had been pushing exchanges without clearly stating what they hoped to achieve, and were potentially emboldening the PLA by giving it insight into the US Army.
The report said the new stance, which would not affect existing exchanges, reflected concerns in the US that expanded defence ties over the past 18 months had not stopped China from pushing its territorial claims in Asia. It said the Pentagon had decided to defer sending an aircraft carrier to China, a visit proposed by both countries last year.
Defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the report was "confusing" and that exchanges between the two militaries had "good momentum".
He said attempts had been made to improve trust and that talks on a code of conduct for naval and air encounters were under way.