Capitalize on Panetta visit

Next week US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will visit Beijing to meet with senior Chinese military officials. The trip marks his first visit to China as Pentagon chief, and most observers agree that the two sides have some contentious issues to discuss.

A lot of media speculation has focused on the likelihood that talks will cover different approaches to the handling of territorial claims in the South China Sea. It is probable that the disputes will top the discussion agenda.

China has long preferred to peacefully discuss competing claims on a bilateral basis without outside interference. But Washington junked its neutral position toward the issue in July 2010 (purportedly at the request of one of China's neighbors), and expressed a preference for a "multilateral" remedy to the disputes. Washington even proclaimed that it has a "national interest" in the South China Sea. The two sides remain at loggerheads over the issue.