A good omen for Sino-US relations

Following the visit of General Chen Bingde, chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), to the United States in May, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, paid a reciprocal visit to China from July 9 to 13. Mullen's visit came amid tensions over territorial claims in the South China Sea and a foreseeable dispute with the US over its arms sales to Taiwan.

In the US' strategic calculus, the rapid buildup of the PLA air force and navy are seen as posing a challenge to the Washington's leadership in the Asia-Pacific region and China's unavoidable rise is viewed as a destabilizing influence on the existing global power structure. With this in mind, the US' response to the territorial dispute in the South China Sea must answer its short-term need to maintain free navigation in international waters and its long-term contingency plan in response to China's growing power.

China doesn't think free navigation can be an excuse for the US to interfere in the South China Sea disputes, and during Mullen's visit Chen reiterated the stance that the disputes should be addressed "through dialogues and diplomatic measures". However, this time the Chinese military had a more practical perception of the US military presence in the region. Chen admitted that the US presence is "already a fact" and will continue to exist.