China, U.S. military ties to increase transparency in Asia Pacific

The recent talks between General Chen Bingde, the chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, have hit the headlines. The PLA top military leader’s one-week visit to the United States, the first of its kind in seven years, signals that Chinese-U.S. relations are back on track.

The fact that the PLA delegation included members of the General Staff responsible for operations, intelligence and foreign affairs, as well as senior generals from all branches of the Chinese military and key military districts, was itself testament to the visit’s importance.

Posted in: Chinese armed forces