U.S. openness to China in military exchanges not being reciprocated
The United States is stepping up military exchanges with China, but Beijing has failed to match U.S. openness and reciprocity by granting access to sensitive military sites in that country, a senior Pentagon official said last week.
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He said exchanges thus far have not violated restrictions outlined in a 2000 law that prevents those that would bolster China's military capabilities. “Some have argued that these limitations, the congressionally imposed limitations, should be changed or revised,” Lawless said. “We do not believe that is the case.”
Defense officials questioned recent comments in China by Adm. Tim Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific forces, who offered to help China in building an aircraft carrier.
The restrictions prohibit the U.S. military from helping China with such power projection capabilities.
Lawless defended Keating by telling the House panel the offer was “not a proposal … to assist them in any regard with relation to an aircraft carrier.”
“It was an observation on his part that if that is your intention, to build a blue-water navy and to have a carrier battle group and have a carrier as the center of that carrier battle group, you may be under-estimating by a long shot your ability to do that, and you're under-estimating the complexity required to field such a capability,” Lawless said.
"To me, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to have a discussion with the Chinese beyond that, except that if they are going to build such a capability, we'd like to understand what the intent of it is. Is the intent to project power?” he asked.
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Is there something in the water that the Pentagon wants to help the RED CHINESE build aircraft carriers that will one day soon stand against the United States?!?
Pertinent Links:
1) U.S. openness to China in military exchanges not being reciprocated
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