Ma Xiaotian meets with USPACOM commander

Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), met with Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, the visiting commander of the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM), and his party on the afternoon of June 26, 2012 in Beijing.

Ma Xiaotian said that China-U.S. relations are one of the world's most important bilateral relations. To strengthen strategic mutual trust between China and the U.S. and establish China-U.S. cooperative partnership on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit is not only in the fundamental interests of the two countries and their peoples, but also will boast important significance to the region and the world at large. The heads of the two countries have met with each other for 12 times since President Barack Obama took office in the year 2009, which shows the importance and strategic significance of China-U.S. relations.

Ma Xiaotian also said that China-U.S. military relations are an important component of the bilateral relations. Although there have been occasionally ups and downs in the relations between the two militaries, the pragmatic exchanges and cooperation have been increased in recent years. In May of 2012, Liang Guanglie, minister of national defense of the People's Republic of China (PRC), made a successful visit to the U.S., during which he and the U.S. military and political leaders had frank and in-depth exchanges of views on implementing the important consensus achieved by the leaders of the two countries and pushing forward healthy, steady and reliable development of the relations between the two militaries.

Ma Xiaotian expressed that the Chinese side attaches importance to the development of relations between the two militaries. The related theaters of the PLA are willing to make joint efforts with the USPACOM to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of non-traditional security issues, in a bid to make positive contributions to further promoting the relations between the two militaries as well as the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.

Locklear said that the relations between the two countries and the two militaries carry much weight for the two countries and their peoples. As a Pacific country, the U.S. hopes to establish good cooperative relations with Asia-Pacific countries including China. The relations between the two militaries are indeed an important component of the bilateral relations and it is hoped that the two militaries can strengthen cooperation and avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments through dialogues and exchanges.

Ma Xiaotian also expressed the concern of the Chinese side over the U.S. warships and warplanes' approaching China for reconnaissance and hoped that the two sides should keep their eyes on the overall situation of the relations between the two countries and the two militaries as a whole and resolve this problem as early as possible.