China's Military Proposes Cooperation

[mhatrw]

Source: Associated Press

China's military is proposing officer exchanges and other confidence-building measures with the U.S. Army and may be inching closer to setting up a "hotline" for emergency communication with Washington, the top U.S. general said Friday. However, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he received no new information in meetings with Chinese military chiefs about Beijing's test of an anti-satellite weapon in January that raised concern in Washington. He said he continued to press China's generals for more transparency about the aims of their military buildup.

"I used the example of the anti-satellite test as how sometimes the international community can be confused, because it was a surprise that China did that, and it wasn't clear what their intent was," Pace said.

Pace said he immediately agreed to study the proposals put forward Friday by Gen. Liang Guanglie, chief of the PLA's General Staff Department. Liang's move suggested a departure from the skepticism with which the highly secretive People's Liberation Army has long regarded cooperation with the U.S. military. "To me this was a very good, open discussion and one that I found very encouraging," Pace told reporters in Beijing.

Liang's proposals included sending Chinese cadets to the Army academy at West Point as well as participating in joint exercises and humanitarian and relief-at-sea operations "that might be able to build trust and confidence amongst our forces."

Read more: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,130001,00.html

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Well, we've outsourced everything else to China. Right now some cigar smoking Repuke asshole is thinking, "When can we hire them? Their injured soldiers will think Walter Reed is a palace!"

[Deja Q]

1. I'd fathom their veracity, but all things change with time.

This should get interesting.
:popcorn:

[theoldman]

2. Reminds me of why we started shaking hands.

When men started shaking hands it made it difficult for them to club each other. By putting troops in each others army it makes it difficult to cheat on the other country. Better to work together than to fight each other.

[Deja Q]

3. Exactly.

This scenario could work out for the best.

[On the Road]

4. Hopefully, this Will Make it More Difficult for Neocons

to depict the Chinese as militaristic and bent on world domination. I hope Bush, or at least the next Democratic president, takes China up on its proposal. Then at some point everyone will get tired of this insanely wasteful military budget and begin a gradual build down.