Military leaders' meeting praised

The inclusion of senior military leaders at the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue helped contribute to mutual trust, a U.S. official told China Daily. The third round of the dialogue in Washington concluded Tuesday with the two sides agreeing to a framework to boost economic ties and promote sustainable growth. This year's round of meeting featured, for the first time, talks between the military leaders of the two countries. The U.S. official, who was not identified, was quoted as telling the China Daily the senior military officers' talks contributed to long-term strategic trust between the two countries and their two militaries. The report said Chinese experts also welcomed the military talks, most of which were held behind closed doors. The dialogue included talks on a broad range of issues, including the economy and security, human rights and non-proliferation efforts in Iran and North Korea. The China Daily said both sides recognize that many of the most sensitive security issues are crosscutting in nature and important to both the civilian and military parts of government. "By tackling some of those sensitive issues together, we hope we can break down misunderstanding and misperceptions that could potentially lead to some sort of miscalculation," the U.S. official was quoted as saying. Those participating in the military talks included Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the general staff of China's People's Liberation Army; U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for policy Michele Flournoy, and U.S. Adm. Robert Willard. Fan Jishe, an expert on U.S. studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the China Daily the United States has been pressing China to increase military transparency, spurred by worries he described as overreaction. He said the talks between the two militaries were designed to improve relations.