http://news.yam.com/cna/international/200802/20080216294629.html
華時：太平洋美軍司令要求中國解釋擴軍意圖
中央社╱中央社 2008-02-16 23:02
（中央社記者劉坤原華盛頓十六日專電）美國「華盛頓時報」今天在頭版報導，太平洋美軍司令吉亭上個月訪問中國時，拒絕了參訪機場和船艦的多項邀請，他寧願利用那些時間多與中方領導人談話，試圖更進一步瞭解他們擴軍的意圖。
吉亭在接受華時專訪時說，至目前為止，美國政治和軍事領袖一直要求中方軍事活動透明化，公開他們取得的武器和設備、軍費數字、訓練情形和軍隊備戰狀態等資訊。但他覺得「透明」不夠。除了透明之外，美國希望知道他們的意圖。
吉亭表示，他在與中方領導人會晤的每一個場合，都提出「意圖」這兩個字。
吉亭說，他的問題是：「中國到底想到何處？以及二十五年後，他們想到達什麼地方？中國一定有一個遠景，但是我不知道。」
吉亭自去年三月出任太平洋軍區司令以來，已訪問中國兩次。他形容，兩次訪問中方對他的接待有很大的不同。去年五月第一次訪問時，氣氛「不友善」，中國領導人「比較愛說教，比較愛宣傳，有一點冷淡」。
上月第二次訪問時，他發現中國領導人「比較親切，比較友善，比較願意聽不同的看法，聽美國軍方的看法，和一些對美、中戰略關係有影響的議題。」
吉亭也透露，他在訪問期間，再度向中方重申他的前任布萊爾對他們講過的話，也就是美國沒有計劃攻擊或圍堵中國，也不想與中國一戰。
但他也警告，一旦美國被捲進去，美國也不避戰。他說：「我們已完全準備好、訓練好、隨時可以上場，我們要每一個人都知道，我們不會輸。」
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080216/FOREIGN/516926133/1001
U.S. commander presses China on military intentions
By Richard Halloran
February 16, 2008
HONOLULU — The commander of U.S. forces in Asia says he pressed Chinese leaders on a recent visit to explain the intentions behind their expanding military power, thus injecting a fresh element into security relations between the two countries.
Until now, U.S. political and military leaders have insisted that Chinese leaders be more "transparent" in their military activity — disclosing what weapons and equipment they have acquired, how much they have spent on their armed forces and the state of training and readiness of those forces.
But Adm. Timothy Keating said in an interview that transparency "is not enough."
"We don't want just transparency, we want to understand their intentions. There's a big difference," he said. "That's a much more aggressive position for us to ask of them."
Adm. Keating, who was in China last month, said he turned down several Chinese invitations to see airfields and ships so he could talk with Chinese leaders and seek a better "comprehension of intentions."
"We used that word [intentions] in every meeting we had," he said.
China has acquired sufficient forces to attack Taiwan, the self-governing island over which Beijing claims sovereignty. Even so, the mainland has continued to build a force capable of striking out into the Pacific and other parts of Asia.
Adm. Keating's emphasis on Chinese intentions was reinforced in Washington this week by the new chief of naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, the former Pacific Fleet commander and Adm. Keating's subordinate.
Adm. Roughead told reporters that China's navy has become more capable but "the question always comes down to what's their intent. ... That's why I am a proponent of being able to engage the leadership of the [Chinese] navy to get a better sense of what they are about."
Adm. Keating, who in his year as Pacific commander has made two trips to China and received Chinese leaders in Honolulu, said the question was: "Where does China expect to be and where do they want to be in 25 years? I believe they have a long view, but I don't know what it is."
He said his reception by the Chinese on his second trip was markedly different from the first. The atmosphere during his first trip, in May, was "chilly" and Chinese leaders were "more didactic, more preachy and a little more brittle."
On his latest trip, he found Chinese leaders "warmer, more collegial, friendly," he said.
"There was more willingness to listen to a different perspective, a U.S. military perspective, an issue that has implications for strategic relations between [China] and the U.S."
An underlying message, however, has not changed, Adm. Keating said. A predecessor, Adm. Dennis Blair, told a congressional committee in Washington in 1999 that he was trying to reassure the Chinese by asserting that his command was not planning to attack China, or contain China, or pick a fight with China.
The other half of that message, Adm. Blair said, was to warn the Chinese: "Don't mess with us."
Adm. Keating picked up on that point forcefully, saying, "It's still the message."
Adm. Keating said he told Chinese leaders, "We don't want to engage you in kinetic military activity."
At the same time, he cautioned them, "We're fully prepared to, we're trained to, we're ready to, and we want everybody to understand that we're not going to lose."
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