American's top military officer will visit China this week in a
sign of improving military ties between the two major powers after
a period of strain.
Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, will meet Chinese military leaders to discuss increasing
contacts, US defense officials said.
Myers met with Japanese military officials in Tokyo on Monday on
the first leg of a week-long trip that will take him to Mongolia,
China and Australia before returning home on Sunday.
US defense officials said the Beijing visit was a sign of
warming ties after a 2001 collision between a Chinese fighter jet
and a US Navy reconnaissance plane over South China Sea plunged
military relations into a deep freeze.
China's defense minister visited Washington in October and US
defense officials said at the time that the two countries planned
to increase military exchanges at all levels in 2004.
In Beijing, US officials said, Myers will meet with his Chinese
counterpart and was expected to discuss the DPRK (Democratic
People's Republic of Korea), Taiwan and other issues.
Before flying to Beijing, Myers was to make the first visit to
Mongolia. US Defense officials said he would thank the Mongolians
for sending a company of peacekeeping troops to Iraq.
When he visited Washington in October, Chinese Defense Minister Cao
Gangchuan and
US Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld discussed a range of issues, including bilateral
military relations and DPRK's nuclear ambitions.
Cao, who also met with Myers, became the first Chinese defense
chief to visit the Pentagon since 1996.
(China Daily January 13, 2004)