Signs of thaw as Pentagon mulls softer Bush line
More signs are emerging that US President George W. Bush's directive to the Pentagon to drop its refusal to engage with China and forge a new military relationship are starting to have an effect.
A high-level meeting to thrash out plans for moving defence relations forward was held recently and involved the key opponent of engagement, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
He is understood to have met proponents of restoring links, including Secretary of State Colin Powell and Mr Bush's National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice. Also present were members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the CIA director George Tenet.
Details of the meetings' results are being kept under wraps but sources said Mr Rumsfeld was under pressure to re-engage with China. 'There is no doubt Bush has told the Pentagon to get into line,' said an official.
'The administration cannot afford to continue to ignore China militarily.' Washington is also putting out the message internationally that it is ready to conduct military exchanges and other transparency-enhancing activities with the PLA.
A report carried yesterday by the Japanese news agency Kyodo said Mr Bush had ordered the Pentagon to resume the defence relationship which was broken off after the collision of a US spy plane and a Chinese jet fighter near Hainan Island which led to the loss of a PLA pilot on April 1 last year. Washington was angered over the PLA's 11-day detention of the EP-3E reconnaissance aircraft's crew.
The Sunday Morning Post last month revealed Mr Bush had told Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to restore the ties. He reportedly believes they are important for America's security interests and the wider relationship.
The Kyodo report carried similar details to the Post report and also referred to the White House meeting held by Mr Bush and attended by Mr Wolfowitz, in the absence of Mr Rumsfeld.
It also said Mr Bush was believed to have told Mr Wolfowitz to accelerate the process without clinging to principles the Pentagon has insisted must be met by Beijing in order for the freeze to be lifted.
Assistant Secretary for Defence Peter Rodman held talks with Defence Minister Chi Haotian and Deputy Chief of the PLA General Staff Xiong Guangkai last month in Beijing, during which he laid down the principles of transparency and reciprocity which the Pentagon had wanted China to follow in their relations.
A defence analyst said there was a possibility Mr Rumsfeld might not object to the message from Mr Bush and senior officials favouring re-engagement but failed to act as he sought to deal with other issues such as a possible invasion of Iraq and the war against terrorism.
Senior US officials claim Washington has been prepared to give Chinese officers access to US military facilities involved in operations but received little in return by way of transparency.
