Article Posted on : - Aug 21, 2013

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chinese Defence Minister Gen. Chang Wanquan hold a joint press conference at the Pentagon, Aug. 19, 2013. The two leaders met to discuss a broad range of issues, including the rebalancing US forces to the Asia-Pacific region and US-China military-to-military relations. Photo: DOD by Glenn Fawcett.

WASHINGTON (BNS): US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chinese Minister of National Defence Gen. Chang Wanquan recently announced that both the countries will take a series of steps to improve military-to-military relations.

Both leaders said that close US-China relations will provide stability and security for the Asia-Pacific region and the world, according to a news report by US Department of Defence.

Establishing better military-to-military relations between the United States and China is important to the overall bilateral relationship, Hagel said.

"The United States welcomes and supports the rise of a prosperous and responsible China that helps solve regional and global problems," the Secreatary said.

The secretary announced he has accepted Chang's invitation to visit China next year, a move that highlights contacts between the two nations at the highest military levels.

The United States has invited the Chinese to attend next year's Rim of the Pacific multilateral naval exercise, Hagel said.

Chang and Hagel also agreed to expand the current system of defence exchanges and joint exercises. Some examples include Chinese midshipmen joining a multinational exchange programme at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement Working Group meeting in Hawaii for discussing the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Hagel and Chang also agreed to set up an exchange mechanism between the People's Liberation Army's strategic planning department and the Joint Staff's strategic, plans and policy directorate.

Disscusion also took place on the recently established US-China cyber working group and steps to strengthen it.

Hagel said he and Chang also discussed regional security issues, including North Korea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

Chang emphasised a number of times that it is his mission to build "a new model of major country relationship" between China and the US based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

"At present, the China-US relationship is in a new historical era," he said. "Building a new model of China-US military relationship can help us to increase strategic trust to reduce strategic risks and to maintain world peace and regional stability."