Page 31: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2016)

Chiefs of U.S. and Chinese Navies Agree on Need for Cooperation

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson met with Peo- ple’s Liberation Army (Navy) (PLA(N)) Commander Adm. Wu Shengli dur- ing professional and social events held July 18 at navy headquarters in

Beijing.

The goal of the engagement was to improve mutual understanding and encourage professional interaction between the two navies.

“I appreciate the opportunity to visit China and to meet with Adm. Wu in person-there is no substitute for these types of face-to-face meetings,” said Richardson. “My goal is to forge a relationship built on frankness and cooperation. Given the responsibilities that our navies have, we must work together and speak candidly-when we agree as well as when we have dif- fering opinions.” “I am very happy to receive you here today,” said Wu. “We attach great importance to your visit. Your visit to China, at our invitation, shows how both sides put great priority on maritime issues.”

The two leaders had frank and substantive conversations on the impor- tance of operating safely, in accordance with international law; future op- portunities for the two navies to engage; and the South China Sea.

The visit, which has been in works for months, was Richardson’s ? rst visit to China as the chief of naval operations and his ? rst in-person meet- ing with Wu. Over the last year, the two admirals have held three discus- sions via video teleconference.

CNO also traveled to Qingdao, home of the Chinese North Sea Fleet, where he is scheduled to visit the Chinese Navy’s submarine academy and tour the aircraft carrier Liaoning (CV-16).

CNO Adm. John Richardson (left) meets with Adm. Wu Shengli, Commander of the People’s Liberation

Army Navy (PLAN), at the PLAN headquarters in Beijing. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Laird/Released)

RIMPAC. “We issued the invitations, a distraction for the people at home, or and we have not taken the step of disin- make geopolitical statements without the viting them,” said Secretary of Defense ability to back them up.

Ash Carter in April. China chose not to participate in the ar-

China participated in RIMPAC 2014 bitration, which made sure they did not with four ships, but also stationed a spy have a voice in the proceedings. In order ship nearby to collect intelligence, some- to make a good show of ignoring the rul- thing it claimed was “within its rights.” ing, China has said the U.S. is behind the

And that’s a true statement, although “farce.”

America could have rightly taken it as an “The award is null and void and has no afront. It is participating again this year, binding force,” China’s Foreign Ministry one of 28 nations contributing warships said in a statement.

to the exercise. And that is true. There is no way to

In the case of China, it is trying to as- enforce the ruling.

sert the kind of power it now believes it However, the U.S. has maintained that is due because of its economic might. it takes no position in the territorial dis-

Russia has stepped up patrol and ? ights putes surrounding the islands and fea- in a way that recalls the Cold War. Putin tures in the South and East China Seas.

has talked about using tactical nuclear “We don’t recognize anyone’s sover- weapons, and has claimed that NATO’s eignty claim in the Spratly Islands, or defensive systems to protect against Ira- more broadly, in almost any of the South nian ballistic missiles aimed at Europe China Sea islands in dispute,” said Rear pose an existential threat to Russia. The Adm. Mark Montgomery, director for difference is that Russia’s economy to- operations for the U.S. Paci? c Com- day cannot support the kind of military mand. “And we believe that there must might that Putin aspires to, and claims be a negotiated agreement to the sover- he has. For Russia, with depressed pe- eignty in relationship with each of these troleum export prices that the economy features, be they low tide elevations, high depends on, and signi? cant sanctions in tide elevations, or islands. And we don’t place resulting from the illegal annexa- believe that the Chinese reclamation ef- tion of Crimea, it may be acting out as forts, or their subsequent militarization www.marinelink.com 31

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