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Gates concerned over China¡¦s new weapons
AFP, ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Saturday voiced concern over China¡¦s
latest high-tech weaponry and called for improving uneasy military relations
with Beijing to help defuse tensions.
Speaking to reporters en route to Beijing for three days of talks, Gates said
China appeared to have made more progress in building its first stealth fighter
jet than previously thought and that an anti-ship missile posed a potential
threat to the US military.
¡§They clearly have the potential to put some of our capabilities at risk. And we
have to pay attention to them; we have to respond appropriately with our own
programs,¡¨ Gates said.
However, he said the advances in weaponry underlined the importance of building
a dialogue with the Chinese military and said his visit starting yesterday would
hopefully lay the ground for deeper defense ties with Asia¡¦s rising power.
¡§My hope is that through the strategic dialogue that I¡¦m talking about that
maybe the need for some of these capabilities is reduced,¡¨ Gates said.
With Chinese President Hu Jintao (JÀAÀÜ) due in Washington for a pivotal state
visit on Wednesday next week, both sides are anxious to show progress in defense
ties, which China has repeatedly suspended over US arms sales to Taiwan.
¡§It¡¦s pretty clear the Chinese wanted me to come before President Hu visits
Washington,¡¨ Gates said. ¡§My own view is a positive, constructive, comprehensive
relationship between the United States and China is not just in the mutual
interests of the two countries, it¡¦s in the interest of everybody in the region
and I would say across the globe.¡¨
Days before the US defense chief¡¦s highly symbolic trip, photographs appeared
showing a prototype of China¡¦s first stealth fighter, the J-20, at an airfield
in the southwest.
¡§We knew they were working on a stealth aircraft,¡¨ Gates said when asked about
the warplane.
¡§What we¡¦ve seen is they may be somewhat further along in the development of
that aircraft than our intelligence had predicted,¡¨ he said.
Gates also said he had been concerned about China¡¦s pursuit of ¡§anti-ship,
cruise and ballistic missiles ever since I took this job¡¨ four years ago.
He also said the development of China¡¦s anti-ship missile was at an advanced
stage, but it was unclear if the weapon was fully operational.
Because of the potential threat posed by Chinese missiles and other hardware,
Gates said his proposed defense budget unveiled on Thursday placed a priority on
technology designed to counter ¡§anti-access¡¨ weapons.
The proposed Pentagon budget for next year calls for funding a new long-range
nuclear bomber, electronic jamming devices for the navy, improvements to radar
for F-15 fighters, a satellite launch vehicle and an unmanned naval
¡§strike-and-surveillance aircraft.¡¨
Although China may be years away from fielding fully-capable anti-ship missiles
or warplanes, analysts say it is gaining ground and that the country¡¦s military
leaders are displaying an increasingly assertive stance.
Aware of the Asian power¡¦s growing economic and military might, the US has for
years appealed to China to back a more ¡§durable¡¨ dialogue ¡X similar to US-Soviet
exchanges during the Cold War ¡X to avoid miscalculations.
China has instead opted to break ties in order to register its displeasure with
Washington, particularly over billions of dollars in weapons deals to Taiwan.
Gates, who last visited China in 2007, has yet to persuade Beijing to embrace a
permanent military dialogue and acknowledged that top leaders would likely raise
the issue of weapons sales to Taiwan during the trip.
However, the Pentagon chief, who is due to meet Hu as well as his Chinese
counterpart, Chinese Minister of National Defense Liang Guanglie (±ç¥ú¯P), said he
had realistic expectations.
¡§I think this is evolutionary and particularly the military-to-military side,¡¨
Gates said. ¡§And so rather than something dramatic ... I think just getting some
things started would be a positive outcome.¡¨
Gates also said China has helped ease a crisis on the Korean Peninsula after
Pyongyang shelled a South Korean island.
¡§We recognize that China played a constructive role in lessening tensions on the
peninsula in the latter part of last year,¡¨ Gates told reporters.
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