Major progress is being made in increasing the “transparency” of China’s armed forces — known collectively as the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). “Transparency” is a Washington term as senior U.S. military officers, defense officials, and analysts seek to know more about the strength and intentions of China’s defense establishment.
The outgoing chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Peter Pace, visited China in March 2007 and gave the PLA high marks for the access that he was given. Pace was allowed to see China’s newest fighter aircraft and was given a ride in the PLA’s most advanced tank. “They took me to places no other U.S. officer had been,” Pace said. “They took me to their private offices. They took me to their command centers and showed me their maps and their plans.”
More recently, Admiral Mike Mullen, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations who will relieve General Pace as JCS chairman this fall, returned from a China visit. Mullen declared that he now had a better grasp of the PLA modernization efforts and “There’s a long way to go, but I’m reassured…I’m very encouraged about their commitment to continuing to improve this relationship.”
Reportedly, other Pentagon officials are less impressed, noting that U.S. military officers are routinely denied access to Chinese sites during trips there, even as the Americans allowed visiting Chinese officers into some of the United States’ most sophisticated and advanced facilities.
“What we expect the Chinese to do is give us the same level of access that we give them here in the United States,” explained Richard P. Lawless, who recently stepped down as the Pentagon’s senior expert on Asia. “We make a great effort to give them access — reasonable access — and we make a great effort to let them understand how our military really works, and if that cannot be reciprocated, then we have a very serious disconnect,” Lawless added.
Still, Chinese military officers in the United States tend to have more restrictions placed on them than many other foreign representatives, including officers from the Russian Federation. And, considering the long-closed society of China and the high degree of secrecy that shrouded all PLA activities and programs until a few years ago, China is becoming increasingly transparent from a military viewpoint.
Although some observers view U.S. and Chinese naval ship visit exchanges as superficial, as well as the recent U.S.-China naval search-and-rescue exercise, such steps are truly landmark changes in the relationship of the two nations.
Re: “Chinese military officers in the United States tend to have more restrictions placed on them than many other foreign representatives, including officers from the Russian Federation.“
I suppose that is an improvement of sorts. In the 80’s I sat through a brief on China in preparation of some of their generals visiting Hill AFB. The briefer noted that the Chinese view of equal treatment between representatives of different governments meant that they treated everyone the same: poorly — while they expected to be treated like ‘more equal’ equals. Shortly thereafter I was startled by the sight of three big-hatted PRC officers (there is no mistaking that funky green) standing on a sidewalk near the BX watching F-16s in the pattern without an escort in sight. I’m sure there had to be SOMEBODY “with” them if only for protocol purposes, but you couldn’t ID who it might be because they were standing all alone.
hey lets not get it twisted the chinese are not our allies and their past actions prove me so. over and over they try to steal our tech and attack us covertly. so all this is friendly posturing is just that posturing. the real facts are on the ground is that they are building projection forces to take and hold Taiwan and secure and control the Asian shipping lanes.
This may seem off topic,but I’ll get to my point.I remember getting into a discussion with a British nurse in 1993 about Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997 & the UK’s refusal to allow British subjects with valid passports to leave Hong Kong & move to the UK simply because they were Chinese,even though most were born & raised to be British subjects.She said they couldn’t come to the U.K. because “they were Chinese you see.” I’m sorry that I never though t rebut her be saying,“You mean to say,‘because they are not white you see’.“
Anyway,so the UK gives Hong Kong with her inhabitants over to China.The British governor gives them a constitution garunteeing civil rights before they are fed to the Chinese lions & the UK leaves.
So,well I think China is just being like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe & Mbeki of South Africa,waiting for a sufficient amount of time passes before they let the hammer fall & oppress the people of Hong Kong.Right now,its just a “Potemkin Village” to impress the world about how benevolent the Chinese government is. Concerning Taiwan,the only thing that China wants from it is its location in controlling shipping to Japan & South Korea.Also,because of the imbalance of men of marrying age outnumbering women almost 100 to 1.They’ll most likely kill every Taiwanese male on the Island,because they have enough Chinese males & keep alive all of the Taiwanese women to reduce the imbalance that they have right now.Then,maybe they’ll finally do the same thing with hong Kong & Macao & wipe their males out & keep the women alive.After all,the males of Hong Kong & Macao are most likely immune to having to serve in the military like West Berliner males were excempt from serving in the west German army & thus of no value to Beijing.
“such steps are truly landmark changes in the relationship of the two nations.” <-Let’s see how long that lasts.
I mean remember here, Republicans are war mongers. Democrats are “globalists”, and least if I buy what the back of the baseball card tells me. Point being, the current U.S. leadership understands how to engage with other foreign military leaderships.
The next potential administration would simply tell the potential ChiCaps that ChiCom was the way to go all along.
The more U know the better,Know thy enemy.
Helps in planning & war gaming & policies.
If we trade with them , why not examine the PLA & PLN etc.
Examine Tech, Tactics & Training.
BUT dont give out US secrets.
Wine & dine in Hong Kong Macau area.
Use Phillpines as Fwd base for Chinese Relations esp since Games due in 8–08