Rumsfeld visit to pave way for summit meet
(China Daily/chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-10-19 06:01

Rumsfeld will meet President Hu, who is also chairman of the Central Military Commission, as well as his Chinese counterpart General Cao Gangchuan.

He will also visit the Central Party School and the Academy of Military Science of the People's Liberation Army, and meet Guo Boxiong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Jing Zhiyuan, Commander of Second Artillery Force.

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld waves as he walks into a hotel in Beijing October 18, 2005. [Reuters]

China hopes that through the visit, Rumsfeld could have a "complete and objective" understanding of China's defensive national defence policy, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan yesterday.

"Leaders will exchange views on bilateral relations, military ties as well as issues of common concern on regional and international affairs," said Kong.

Beijing hopes the visit can "increase mutual understanding and trust" between the two sides, according to Kong.

"We hope Rumsfeld's visit to China ... will increase his understanding of China's policy of firmly taking a peaceful road," he said.

Rumsfeld said the U.S. government welcomes China's emergence as an economic power. But he also said that development has created "somewhat of a tension" for China's leaders as they attempt to cope with new influences and ideas that inevitably enter the country along with foreign investment.

"China is an important country in the region; it's a country that's increasingly important in the world," he said.

China agreed to allow Rumsfeld to visit the headquarters of the strategic rocket forces at Qinghe, making him the first U.S. official ever to see the Second Artillery complex, according to Pentagon officials.

Zhu Feng predicted that Rumsfeld and the Chinese officials may touch on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the Taiwan question.

Kong urged US officials to keep their commitments on the Taiwan question by adhering to the one-China policy and opposing Taiwan independence.

Over the past years, bilateral military exchanges have been strengthened.

Chinese Defence Minister Cao visited the United States in October 2003, and General Richard Myers, former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, toured China in 2004.