U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel poses with Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin in Singapore, June 1, 2013.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel recently addressed the Asia Security Summit on the U.S.- China relationship.
“Building a positive and constructive relationship with China is an essential part of America’s rebalance to Asia,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said recently in Singapore when he addressed the Asia Security Summit.
“The United States welcomes and supports a prosperous and successful China that contributes to regional and global problem solving,” Secretary Hagel said. “To this end, the United States has consistently supported a role for China in regional and global economic and security institutions, such as the G20.”
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Hagel On China
“The United States remains firm in its adherence to a one-China policy based on the three joint U.S.-China communiques and the Taiwan Relations Act,” Secretary Hagel said. “We have an enduring interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. [The United States] strongly supports the efforts made by the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan in recent years to improve cross-Strait relations.”
China, the United States and all nations of the region have a responsibility to work together to ensure a vibrant regional security architecture that solves problems.”
Secretary Hagel indicated that while the United States and China will have differences, the key is managing these differences through dialogue. “It also requires building trust and reducing the risk of miscalculation, particularly between our militaries,” he said.
Both President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping have stated that they seek a stronger military-to-military relationship.
“I am pleased that the dialogue between our armed forces is steadily improving over the course of the past year,” Secretary Hagel said. “While we are pleased to see this progress, it is important for both the United States and China to provide clarity and predictability to each other about each other’s current and future strategic intentions.”
“America’s bilateral relationships [in Asia] and Alliances [around the world] will continue to underpin the [Asia-Pacific] region’s security and prosperity,” Secretary Hagel said. “China, the United States and all nations of the region have a responsibility to work together to ensure a vibrant regional security architecture that solves problems.”