VZCZCXRO4073
OO RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHBJ #9010/01 1350559
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 150559Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5249
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 009010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR WILDER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2016 
TAGS: PREL PINS MOPS CH TN KN JP
SUBJECT: PACOM COMMANDER FALLON'S DISCUSSION WITH PLA 
DEPUTY CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF GENERAL GE ZHENFENG 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Daniel 
Shields.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) President Hu discussed with President Bush the 
need for the United States and China to view their 
bilateral relationship from a strategic level with a 
long-term perspective, PLA Deputy Chief of the General 
Staff General Ge Zhenfeng told PACOM Commander Admiral 
Fallon during a May 10 meeting.  Beijing is pleased by 
the developing momentum in China-U.S. military 
relations, hopes to expand the scope of future 
exchanges and places great importace on General Guo 
Boxiong's upcoming visit tothe United States. 
Admiral Fallon urged China to participate more 
productively in the Military Maritime Consultative 
Agreement framework (MMCA) to achieve operational 
results.  He invited the PLA to observe a U.S. 
exercise planned for June in and around Guam, saying 
the invitation demonstrates U.S. intention to be open 
and transparent.  Ge outlined the PLA's current 
modernization drive, highlighting six focu areas. 
Predictably, he raised Taiwan as the ost sensitive 
issue in the bilateral relationship and said the PRC's 
position is "clear-cut, consistent and firm."  Admiral 
Fallon stated that the U.S. position on Taiwan is 
equally clear and well understood.  End Summary. 
 
Military-to-Military Exchanges 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (C) Visiting Commander of U.S. Pacific Command 
(PACOM), Admiral William Fallon met May 10 with PLA 
Deputy Chief of the General Staff Ge Zhenfeng at PLA 
Headquarters in Beijing.  General Ge characterized 
President Hu Jintao's visit to Washington as a success 
that allowed for an in-depth exchange of views with 
President Bush.  The two countries' leaders view their 
bilateral relationship from a strategic, long-term 
perspective.  In keeping with this direction, Ge 
continued, both militaries should work to expand and 
institutionalize their exchanges.  Pointing to recent 
educational exchanges, port calls, cooperation in 
counterterrorism and non-traditional security areas, 
as well as disaster management, Ge said that he is 
pleased by the developing momentum in U.S.-China 
military relations.  Beijing places great importance 
on Central Military Commission Vice Chairman General 
Guo Boxiong's July visit to the United States and Ge 
noted his own anticipation for his upcoming visit to 
Hawaii.  Admiral Fallon responded that while high- 
level visits are very useful, the two countries must 
extend their military exchanges down to younger 
officers and to officers from operational units 
serving in the field.  This will help people with 
similar interests but different backgrounds to better 
understand each other. Ge agreed, saying it would be 
reasonable to expand the scope of future exchanges to 
include younger officers. 
 
Need More Details and a Framework 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Admiral Fallon stated that as China's military 
capabilities grow there are more opportunities for the 
U.S. and Chinese militaries to engage each other. 
Using the 2001 EP-3 incident as an example, Fallon 
encouraged the PLA to work in the spirit of the U.S.- 
China Military Maritime Consultative Agreement 
framework (MMCA).  Fallon said that now is the time to 
work out a framework for how to handle such encounters 
so that operational commanders understand what each 
side must do in a particular situation.  This will 
prevent accidents and build confidence. Ge agreed that 
the United States and China should not only talk about 
"big picture" issues but also discuss details. 
 
Invitation to Observe Exercise 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (C) Admiral Fallon stressed the importance of 
building confidence through open engagement and 
transparency.  He invited the PLA to send 
representatives to observe an upcoming U.S. joint 
 
BEIJING 00009010  002 OF 003 
 
 
military exercise in the Pacific.  Noting that other 
countries in the region are also being invited to 
observe, Admiral Fallon stressed that this invitation 
shows that the United States is open about our 
intentions in the region.  Ge agreed that it is 
important and useful to observe each other's regional 
military exercises.  He tried to justify the PLA's 
failure to invite the U.S. to observe last year's 
exercise with Russia using the argument that because 
this was the first such exercise, both sides agreed 
that only a few members of the Shanghai Cooperation 
Organization should be invited to observe. 
 
Current State of PLA Modernization 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Ge began a lengthy monologue in which he 
described China's military strategy as a "positive 
defense," which he defined as possessing a self- 
defense capability that would allow for a "prevailing 
action."  The PLA relies on its own equipment, 
weaponry and long martial tradition to defend China's 
territorial integrity and sovereignty.  To achieve 
this strategy, the PLA is focusing on improvements in 
six specific areas.  First, the PLA is pressing ahead 
with the revolution in military affairs (RMA) but with 
"Chinese characteristics."  Ge said that while the 
quality of the PLA's weaponry is not yet 
"satisfactory," the PLA recognizes the need to 
modernize its information infrastructure and 
capabilities, often referred to as 
"informationalization."  Ge said that the PLA's 
informationalization will then drive the PLA's 
mechanization.  Second, the PLA is striving to enhance 
its military readiness, an issue that has received 
much attention from the PRC's highest levels.  The 
PLA's objective is to be prepared to win a regional 
war under the most difficult scenarios and with 
multiple threats.  Third, the PLA is encouraging the 
integration of its services.  Fourth, the PLA is 
encouraging the independent development of science and 
technology and hopes to be able to "leap frog" 
development stages to increase military fighting 
capabilities.  Fifth, the PLA will continue the 
program it implemented in 2003 to build a talented 
core of people.  Ge described this effort as a 
"strategic project to improve the quality of five 
corps of people: commanders, staff, scientists, 
technical specialists and NCO's."  Sixth, the PLA is 
enhancing its efforts to run the military according to 
law.  The PLA is attempting to instill loyalty, valor 
and discipline in the troops by adhering strictly to 
newly promulgated rules and regulations in order to 
improve their battlefield effectiveness, Ge said. 
 
Taiwan Policy Clear-Cut, Consistent and Firm 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Ge cautioned Admiral Fallon that the Taiwan 
issue remains the most sensitive issue in the 
bilateral relationship, stating that Beijing's 
position on Taiwan is "always clear-cut, consistent 
and firm."   Summing up the policy, Ge said Beijing 
adheres to the "One-China policy" and to the principle 
of peaceful reunification, places hope in the people 
on Taiwan and opposes Taiwan independence. Admiral 
Fallon responded that the United States position on 
the Taiwan issue is also very clear and objective. 
The United States expects the people of China and 
Taiwan to resolve their differences without conflict 
and will base its policies and actions on that goal. 
 
Participants 
------------ 
 
¶7.  (U) U.S. Participants: 
 
Admiral William J. Fallon, Commander, United States 
Pacific Command 
Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr. 
Ravic Huso, Political Advisor, Department of State, 
United States Pacific Command 
Brig. Gen. Ralph Jodice, Defense Attache 
COL Bob Brown, Executive Assistant, United States 
Pacific Command 
Lt COL Sesh Munipalli, Special Assistant to the 
 
BEIJING 00009010  003 OF 003 
 
 
Commander, United States Pacific Command 
CAPT Kevin Ketchmark, Navy Attache 
MAJ Roger Cavazos, China desk officer, United States 
Pacific Command 
Embassy Poloff, Notetaker 
 
¶8.  (U) PRC Participants: 
 
General Ge Zhenfeng, Deputy Chief of the General Staff 
Senior Colonel Li Ji 
LTC Dong Xilin 
COL Huang Xuepin 
CAPT Cheng Kai 
MGEN Qian Lihua 
 
¶9.  (U) Admiral Fallon has cleared this cable. 
RANDT