Lankan Ranger
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2009
- Messages
- 12,550
- Reaction score
- 0
Great leap in defence ties with China: Australia
A LEADING Chinese military strategist says that ''political obstacles'' to joint military exercises between the Australian Defence Force and the People's Liberation Army have been removed, despite intensifying military and diplomatic rivalry between China and the United States.
Rear-Admiral Yang Yi, from the National Defence University, told the Herald that after meetings with Australian military leaders in Beijing this week there was scope for a high-level bilateral forum on military capabilities, modernisation and intentions - subjects that Australia and the US have been pressing to discuss with China.
''Australia is special because it is a very important player in the region and because it has close relations with the US and also other powers, including India and Japan,'' said Admiral Yang, who has co-written Chinese defence white papers. ''We do not have any intention to divide the allies.''
Yesterday a Chinese general threatened to marshal the country's financial power to punish the US over plans to send an aircraft to Chinese coastal waters in the Yellow Sea.
''Imagine what the consequence will be if China's biggest debtor nation challenges its creditor nation,'' Major General Luo Yuan wrote in Global Times, referring to China's holding of roughly $1.5 trillion of US debt.
The comments follow loud verbal stoushes over sovereignty and military access to the oil-rich South China Sea and US arms sales to Taiwan.
Political analysts are split over whether a series of hostile outbursts this year by Chinese generals towards the US reflected the consensus view of a more confident and aggressive rising power or internal divisions within the upper echelons of the People's Liberation Army and the Politburo, before leadership changes at both institutions.
But China's invitation to Australia appears to be the considered and strategic extension of recent high-level talks between the two countries.
General Liao Xilong, one of 10 generals on the Central Military Commission under President Hu Jintao, told Australian Air Vice-Marshal Margaret Staib on Monday that it was time for the two countries to build on their ''pragmatic communication and co-operation'' in politics, economics and culture.
''Under the new situation, the People's Liberation Army is willing to develop comprehensive friendly communication and co-operation with the Australian Defence Force, broaden the field of communication, enrich the content of co-operation and push
forward the relationship of the two armed forces to a new level,'' he said, according to the official Xinhua news agency, which did not make clear whether the words were direct quotes.
Admiral Yang said General Liao was ''one of the top leaders of the People's Liberation Army'' and his views ''represent Chinese military policy and strategy''.
Admiral Yang, who earlier this year led demands that the US cancel a $US6.4 billion ($6.9 billion) arms sale to Taiwan, dismissed the view that recent aggressive Chinese statements reflected internal divisions.
''Foreign policy is the most sensitive policy of the country.''
He said China's military leaders ''do not care too much'' about which party wins the Australian election and were willing to deal with any country ''who respects us and treats us as equals''.
''But if one day Australia does some stupid things like the US, there's no doubt [military relations] will cut off.''
China's moves to bolster military ties with Australia come during a federal election campaign where neither political party in Australia has squarely addressed foreign policy questions relating to the rising global power.
A spokesman for the Defence Minister, John Faulkner, said last night that military-to-military dialogue with China was not new. The two countries had developed a positive and growing military relationship over the past few years.
Strong and positive defence relations were in Australia's interest, and helped contribute to regional security and stability.
Great leap in defence ties with China
A LEADING Chinese military strategist says that ''political obstacles'' to joint military exercises between the Australian Defence Force and the People's Liberation Army have been removed, despite intensifying military and diplomatic rivalry between China and the United States.
Rear-Admiral Yang Yi, from the National Defence University, told the Herald that after meetings with Australian military leaders in Beijing this week there was scope for a high-level bilateral forum on military capabilities, modernisation and intentions - subjects that Australia and the US have been pressing to discuss with China.
''Australia is special because it is a very important player in the region and because it has close relations with the US and also other powers, including India and Japan,'' said Admiral Yang, who has co-written Chinese defence white papers. ''We do not have any intention to divide the allies.''
Yesterday a Chinese general threatened to marshal the country's financial power to punish the US over plans to send an aircraft to Chinese coastal waters in the Yellow Sea.
''Imagine what the consequence will be if China's biggest debtor nation challenges its creditor nation,'' Major General Luo Yuan wrote in Global Times, referring to China's holding of roughly $1.5 trillion of US debt.
The comments follow loud verbal stoushes over sovereignty and military access to the oil-rich South China Sea and US arms sales to Taiwan.
Political analysts are split over whether a series of hostile outbursts this year by Chinese generals towards the US reflected the consensus view of a more confident and aggressive rising power or internal divisions within the upper echelons of the People's Liberation Army and the Politburo, before leadership changes at both institutions.
But China's invitation to Australia appears to be the considered and strategic extension of recent high-level talks between the two countries.
General Liao Xilong, one of 10 generals on the Central Military Commission under President Hu Jintao, told Australian Air Vice-Marshal Margaret Staib on Monday that it was time for the two countries to build on their ''pragmatic communication and co-operation'' in politics, economics and culture.
''Under the new situation, the People's Liberation Army is willing to develop comprehensive friendly communication and co-operation with the Australian Defence Force, broaden the field of communication, enrich the content of co-operation and push
forward the relationship of the two armed forces to a new level,'' he said, according to the official Xinhua news agency, which did not make clear whether the words were direct quotes.
Admiral Yang said General Liao was ''one of the top leaders of the People's Liberation Army'' and his views ''represent Chinese military policy and strategy''.
Admiral Yang, who earlier this year led demands that the US cancel a $US6.4 billion ($6.9 billion) arms sale to Taiwan, dismissed the view that recent aggressive Chinese statements reflected internal divisions.
''Foreign policy is the most sensitive policy of the country.''
He said China's military leaders ''do not care too much'' about which party wins the Australian election and were willing to deal with any country ''who respects us and treats us as equals''.
''But if one day Australia does some stupid things like the US, there's no doubt [military relations] will cut off.''
China's moves to bolster military ties with Australia come during a federal election campaign where neither political party in Australia has squarely addressed foreign policy questions relating to the rising global power.
A spokesman for the Defence Minister, John Faulkner, said last night that military-to-military dialogue with China was not new. The two countries had developed a positive and growing military relationship over the past few years.
Strong and positive defence relations were in Australia's interest, and helped contribute to regional security and stability.
Great leap in defence ties with China
