Cooperation, competition co-exist in Sino-US military ties

The past few years have seen a positive trend in China-US military relations. This was made possible because the two countries realized that peace and cooperation are essential to not only Chinese and American citizens, but also people in the rest of the world.

China, despite becoming the world's second-largest economy and growing in national strength, has stuck to its peaceful development strategy. It will neither challenge the US' dominance nor form alliances with other countries. And even though some of its neighbors seek to create trouble over maritime disputes, it insists on a defensive defense policy and advocates a political, instead of military, solution to the disputes.

China's idea of a "new model of major-country relationship" also makes it clear that it has no intention of confronting the US, which also helps keep their differences on security issues under control and draws the bottom line of military relations.