U.S. EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER CHINA'S EAST CHINA SEA AIR DEFENCE IDENTIFICATION ZONE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Statement on the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 23, 2013

The United States is deeply concerned about China's announcement that they've established an "East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone." This unilateral action constitutes an attempt to change the status quo in the East China Sea. Escalatory action will only increase tensions in the region and create risks of an incident.

Freedom of overflight and other internationally lawful uses of sea and airspace are essential to prosperity, stability, and security in the Pacific. We don't support efforts by any State to apply its ADIZ procedures to foreign aircraft not intending to enter its national airspace. The United States does not apply its ADIZ procedures to foreign aircraft not intending to enter U.S. national airspace. We urge China not to implement its threat to take action against aircraft that do not identify themselves or obey orders from Beijing.

We have urged China to exercise caution and restraint, and we are consulting with Japan and other affected parties, throughout the region. We remain steadfastly committed to our allies and partners, and hope to see a more collaborative and less confrontational future in the Pacific.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY MAKES REMARKS WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks With Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Top of Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Great Hall of the People
Beijing, China
April 13, 2013


PRESIDENT XI: (Via interpreter) Mr. Secretary, I want to welcome you to China. It is a great pleasure to see you again. I remember your last visit to China was in your capacity as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee back in May of 2009, and we met during that visit.

I want to take this opportunity to express my congratulations to you on being appointed to this very important position. You are a senior political leader in the United States and you have been committed to enhancing the United States relations with China when you were a senator and now as the U.S. Secretary of State. I want to express my appreciation of your efforts.

Mr. Secretary, you are the second U.S. cabinet member that I met in one month as Chinese President, and not long ago I met with the visiting Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. I believe these exchanges show we both recognize the importance of China-U.S. relations and pay high attention to the further growth of China-U.S. ties.

The current China-U.S. relationship is at a new historical stage and has got off to a good start. On the very day I was elected Chinese President, I talked on the phone with President Barack Obama, during which the two sides reaffirmed our commitment to developing the cooperative partnership and building a new type of major country relations between the two countries. And this has reaffirmed the strategic nature and the direction of development of China-U.S. relations.

I believe your visit to China this time will give a boost to the positive momentum of China-U.S. relations.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Mr. President, thank you very, very much. Thank you for receiving me. Thank you for the generous reception of your time. Minister Wang Yi and I had a very productive morning, and I’ll have a chance to meet with the Premier a little later, and then subsequently my friend Yang Jiechi and I will spend some time together this evening. So I thank you for your government’s representation.

If I can just answer your comments quickly by saying, first, President Obama sends his greetings, and he and I share the hope that this can be even a further definition of the model relationship which you have often talked about. And may I also extend to you from President Obama and the American people our congratulations to you on the assumption of your new responsibilities and your new government.

Mr. President, this is obviously a critical time with some very challenging issues, issues on the Korean peninsula, the challenge of Iran and nuclear weapons, Syria, the Middle East, and economies around the world that are in need of a boost. So I think that we’re meeting at a very, very key time, and I very much look forward to our discussion about how you see your vision of a stronger partnership with the United States taking shape. We are very anxious to fill that out and to have that discussion today, and I look forward through the rest of our afternoon to being able to really understand the roadmap ahead, the one that you envision and the one that hopefully we can contribute to.

So thank you for welcoming me here, and I appreciate the opportunity to have this kind of frank discussion with you.

CHINA INVITED TO "RIM OF THE PACIFIC" NAVAL EXERCISE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta speaks with Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of general staff, in Beijing, Sept. 17, 2012. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
Panetta: Navy Will Invite China to Pacific Rim Exercise
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

BEIJING, Sept. 18, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and his Chinese counterpart, Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie, told reporters here today they see progress and room for growth in the two nations' military relationship.

During a news conference following small- and large-group meetings the two attended this morning, Panetta said he informed the general today that "the United States Navy will invite China to send a ship to participate in the RIMPAC [Rim of the Pacific] 2014 exercise."

The biannual exercise, hosted by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, is the world's largest maritime exercise. It involved 22 nations' navies this year.

The secretary said he hopes China's participation in RIMPAC 2014 will build on the positive momentum generated by a counterpiracy exercise the two nations took part in last week in the Gulf of Aden.

"These exercises enhance the ability of our navies to work together to confront the common threat of piracy," Panetta said.

The secretary said he and Liang also discussed establishing peacekeeping exchanges between the two militaries, which "would enhance our capabilities in this critical area."

The United States hopes in particular, he added, that through such exchanges "we can learn from China's experience leading [United Nations] peacekeeping missions in Cyprus and in the Western Sahara"

As the two nations increase cooperation, the secretary said, it's important for both sides to recognize they won't always agree.

"The United States continues to be concerned about challenges to maritime security in East Asia," Panetta said, referring to recent clashes between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, known in China as the Diaoyu Islands. In that and other territorial disputes in the Asia-Pacific region, Panetta said, he urges calm and hopes to see the nations involved keep communication channels open so they can resolve their claims peacefully, though diplomacy.

"It's in no country's interest for this situation to escalate into conflict that would undermine peace and stability in this very important region," he added. "This has been my consistent message throughout the week."

Map Credit:  U.S. Department Of Defense.

The secretary is midway through an Asia trip that began in Japan and will end later this week with a stop in New Zealand.

Panetta said in discussion with Liang, he also repeated the U.S. desire to have a military-to-military dialogue with China on conduct in cyberspace, which the secretary called a growing economic and security threat.

Finally, Panetta said, he focused during today's discussions on the U.S. strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region. The United States intends its strategy to add impetus to economic, diplomatic and security interests in the region, which is vital to world trade, the secretary added.

"As I pointed out, a key to that rebalancing is having a constructive relationship with China," he said.

Liang told reporters during the conference the Chinese government has placed "great value" on Panetta's visit.

The general confirmed the events on the secretary's schedule through today: meetings here with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who serves in a position roughly equivalent to the U.S. national security advisor; and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Caihou.

Liang also confirmed Panetta's schedule includes visits to the People's Liberation Army armored engineering college, where the secretary will deliver a speech, and a visit to the eastern port city of Qingdao, where he will meet with the commander of China's North Sea Fleet.

The general said that in today's meetings, "we have exchanged ideas and opinions on bilateral and military-to-military relations between our two nations, on international and regional situations, and ... other issues of common interest. We have reached some consensus."

Liang said both sides agreed "solid and steady development of China-U.S. relations is significant to the two countries, the two peoples, and to the entire world."

Liang said he and Panetta agreed that within the larger picture of relations between the two countries, they must develop a new military-to-military relationship "based on equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation."

He noted there are issues -- including U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the U.S. rebalancing strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, territorial disputes in the South and East China Sea, cybersecurity and outer space – on which better communication could "reduce suspicions and build trust."

The general added that discussions with Panetta have been conducted in a "candid, practical and constructive atmosphere."