WASHINGTON: China and the United States agreed on Tuesday to conduct joint
naval maritime search-and-rescue exercises later this year, focusing on ways the
US and Chinese can operate safely together.
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General Guo Boxiong shakes hands with US defense secretary Donald
Rumsfeld outside Pentagon yesterday.
[Reuters] |
The two sides also agreed to co-operate on military archive information
involving US personnel missing in action, and promote exchanges between military
academies and officers.
The agreements were reached after General Guo Boxiong, vice-chairman of the
Central Military Commission, met US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the
Pentagon on Tuesday.
At a welcoming ceremony on the steps of the Pentagon, Guo and Rumsfeld shook
hands and briefly exchanged small talk. An Air Force band played each nation's
anthem before the two men went inside for a working lunch.
Guo is the highest-ranking military officer from China to visit the United
States since 2001.
At the talks, the two had an in-depth exchange of views on the international
and regional security situations, the relationships between the two countries
and their armies.
Guo said his six-day visit, which will end on Saturday, aims to implement the
consensus reached by President Hu Jintao and his US counterpart George W. Bush
on increasing exchanges and co-operation between the two armed forces during
Hu's US visit in April.
He expressed the hope that his visit would help enhance mutual understanding
and trust, foster friendship and deepen the relationship between the armed
forces.
Guo and Rumsfeld agreed in principle to continue expanding
military-to-military contacts, said a senior US defence official who refused to
be named.
"They're very stable, very steady and they're expanding, and they have high
political impetus from both sides," said the Pentagon official, describing
bilateral military ties.
China agreed in June to join the United States in a search-and-rescue
exercise, and the two countries planned to conduct several phases of drills
under their bilateral Military Maritime Consultative Agreement, he said.
Later in the day, Guo met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
