PACOM Commander: U.S., China Must Keep Up Military-to-Military Ties

摘要

Military relations between the United States and China are at a "historic" high, an important factor as the U.S. Pacific Command tries to net together its allies and partners to maintain regional stability, PACOM commander Adm. Samuel Locklear said Dec. 6.Speaking at the Pentagon, Locklear told reporters that ballistic missile defense was a "complex problem" that requires new and stronger partnerships in the region. PACOM is bolstering its relationship with countries like Thailand and the Philippines, reaching out to new partners like Vietnam and Bangladesh and even talking to countries like Burma that previously had a strained diplomatic relationship with the United States - but Locklear said his command needs to make an even bigger shift in how it handles its relationships.