Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, meets with U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno at Bayi Building in Beijing on Feb. 21, 2014. (Photo : www.straitstimes.com)
The relationship between China and the United States is expected to get a boost, according to analysts, with the signing of the China-U.S. army dialogue mechanism and the upcoming agreement on the air-to-air annex to the code of conduct on military encounters, the China Daily reported.
China, however, cautioned the United States regarding the proper handling of the South China Sea issue to maintain the positive momentum, as a Chinese military leader asked Washington to be careful with the statements it issues, which involve the integrity of China's territory.
Central Military Commission Vice-Chairman Fan Changlong, who came from a recent visit to the U.S., has also asked Washington to lessen its military presence of both in the air and in the waters of the South China Sea during the meeting of the two countries' military leaders.
Fan and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Raymond Odierno attended the signing of the dialogue mechanism at the National Defense University in Washington on June 12, Friday. It was the first document on cooperation to be signed by the two armies in recent years.
Guan Youfei, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Ministry of National Defense, said that the agreement would enable the armies of the two countries to hold joint exercises next year.
The mutual trust mechanisms for major military operations and the code of conduct on military encounters in the air and at sea, both signed last year, were also discussed, Guan said.
The agreement on the air-to-air annex to the code of conduct is also expected to be reached by the two countries before the coming U.S. visit of President Xi Jinping in September.
"The annex on air-to-air encounters aims to prevent crises, while the dialogue mechanism between the armies mainly helps with cooperation," Major General Yao Yunzhu, a senior researcher at the People's Liberation Army's Academy of Military Science, was also quoted as saying.
Guan said that the joint exercises based on the code of conduct is expected to be held by the two countries to ensure that its terms are implemented correctly.
He added that the U.S. has also asked China to join the Rim of the Pacific exercise next year.
