Puzzling Pentagon to blame for bilateral ties

The Pentagon has sent mixed messages to Beijing on Sino-American military ties.

On Sept 10, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told a news conference that Beijing appeared ready to host US Defense Secretary Robert Gates for talks later this year. A day before that, Morrell had said an US aircraft carrier would take part in a joint US-South Korea military drill in the Yellow Sea later in the year.

The first message indicates the US wants to maintain normal military ties with China. But the second contradicts it. America has turned a deaf ear to China's security concerns, ignoring its repeated warning that the presence of a US aircraft carrier - irrespective of the purpose - in the waters off its eastern coast poses a threat to its security.

The US decision to hold another military drill in the Yellow Sea shows its lack of consistency and sincerity in addressing security issues with China.

True, Beijing called off part of its military exchange programs with Washington in January. But it did so in protest against the Barack Obama administration's decision to sell arms worth billions of dollars to Taipei. So, the US is solely to blame for the stagnation of Sino-American military ties.

Since military ties are an important part of bilateral relations, they cannot be allowed to suffer setbacks. China, on its part, has said many times this month that it is willing to improve military ties with the US.

The ball is in Washington's court now. It should stop sending mixed messages and make efforts to build a sound climate for early resumption of bilateral military cooperation.