Chinese People's Liberation Army Delegation Visit to the United States, May 2011: A Summary of Key Actors and Issues

摘要

General Chen Bingde, the Chief of the General Staff Department of People.s Liberation Army (PLA), and an accompanying delegation of PLA officers visited the United States from May 15 . 22, 2011. China had previously cut high-level bilateral military relations with the United States after a proposed $6.4 billion arms sales package to Taiwan in early 2010. The purpose of General Chen's visit was to restore and implement a healthier U.S.-China military-to-military (mil-to-mil) relationship, as agreed upon by Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao in February 2011. Historically, the United States has sought to increase transparency and direct communication between the U.S. and Chinese militaries. However, such requests were not prominent in public discussions during Chen's visit. During this round of mil-to-mil talks, China sought political and legislative concessions on its 'core interests,' including curtailing Taiwan arms sales, reducing U.S. reconnaissance and surveillance operations off of China.s coast, and ending legislative barriers to high-tech exports to China. At the moment, the result of General Chen's trip appears to be a muted revitalization of the mil-to-mil relationship between China and the United States. However, divergent agendas and perceptions of the military relationship will inevitably present problems in the future. As the United States considers future arms sales to Taiwan, and as China continues to modernize its military, it is uncertain how long this amicable mil-to-mil relationship will last.