Warming defense ties with US

When the United States Army and People's Liberation Army (PLA) bands played at a joint concert at Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. on May 16, General Chen Bingde, chief of the general staff of the PLA, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, were seen smiling among the audience. It was the first ever visit by the PLA band to the US and the first visit of a PLA chief of the general staff after seven years.

Early this year, President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama agreed to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive partnership between China and the United States. A healthy and stable military relationship is an integral part of this partnership.

One of the highlights of the recently concluded third round of China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) was the establishment of the China-US Strategic Security Dialogue (SSD) under the strategic track of the S&ED. Defense officials, military and civil both, from China and the US will meet regularly under the SSD.