Expert: Rules needed to avoid military clashes

By Tan Yingzi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-22 09:14

To avoid future military conflicts, guidelines should be established between China and the United States with full respect for China's interests and tradition, a Chinese expert said in response to a recent speech made by a US official.

In a clear sign of recognition of China's growing military might, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell admitted in a speech that the most populous nation will become more militarily active in Asia and will "rub up" against US forces in the future.

Pan Zheng, a senior expert in US strategy at the National Defense University, told China Daily Wednesday that "the rules are necessary for both sides, but they must be made by the two countries with respect to China's interests and traditions."

Campbell's speech on Monday in Beijing precedes a statement made Wednesday by Adm Robert Willard, newly in charge of the US Pacific Command, that said that US intelligence has underestimated China's military abilities over the past decade.

Campbell's speech urged closer military cooperation between the two countries. He said discussions between the two about their respective military forces must be more fruitful to keep tension from escalating into armed conflict and has so far been insufficient.

He also said that US and China must cooperate more closely to establish "rules of the road."

But the two countries' intertwined economies will serve as a "ballast in the US-China relationship" to protect from major conflict, Campbell added.