U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (2L) listens to a student as he watches an engineering equipment training demostration at China Military Academy during a tour in Changping District of Beijing on April 9, 2014. [Photo: CFP]

On June 1, 2013, Hagel declared that after his predecessor Leon Panetta's decision to station 60 percent of the U.S. fleet in the Asia-Pacific by 2020, the United States will dispatch 60 percent of its total air force in the region. Moreover, the Pentagon will deploy more troops and hi-tech weapons on land and at sea in the Asia-Pacific region, while sending 2,500 U.S. Marine Corps crew to Australia every year.

Zhu said that the China-U.S. relationship is a wind vane in the region, and regional disputes are connected to U.S. involvement. "If the U.S. side doesn't take its responsibility of maintaining regional peace and stability as it promised, then the regional situation will remain restless," he stressed.

Mutual trust needed

In spite of differences, the China-U.S. military relationship is still on the right track of strengthening cooperation. Chinese observers remain optimistic about the development of bilateral military relations. They believed that if the two sides accumulate mutual trust with patience through communication and cooperation, their military relationship might be a new highlight of China-U.S. relations.

Qu Xing, President of the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that bilateral military relations are entering a new phase of maintaining regular dialogue, conducting reciprocal exchanges and deepening cooperation. He believed that if the two sides conduct practical discussion over sensitive regional issues, these relations can sustain stable and healthy development.

During Hagel's visit, the two sides reached consensus on building a new-type military relationship, which is a part of the China-U.S. "new-type major-country relationship," a concept advocated by Chinese President Xi Jinping. When meeting with Hagel, Xi restated the principles of no conflict and no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. He also called on the two sides to promote practical cooperation in various areas and manage effectively differences and sensitive issues so that the new type of major-country relations between China and the United States could move in the right direction.

Claiming his visit aimed to promote the new model of military relations that President Obama and President Xi have supported, the U.S. defense secretary said both sides have had positive, candid and constructive talks.

Hagel came up with three expectations on building a China-U.S. new-type military relationship, including keeping sustainable and substantial dialogues, conducting practical cooperation in fields the two sides have common interests and carrying out workable control through open communication over topics wherein they might have differences.

Hagel said the United States did not take any position on sovereignty disputes and hoped problems would be resolved peacefully through diplomatic means. The bill by a particular committee of Congress does not represent government policy, he explained.

To Zhu Feng, a professor of international studies with Peking University, the China-U.S. relationship shows the tendency of a strategic competition in East Asia. Hagel also admitted previously that Beijing and Washington are not enemies, but competitors.

Zhu Feng said that it is not necessary to cover up the competition between the two sides. At a time when regional hotspot and security issues require increasing coordination between the two sides, China-U.S. military exchanges should go beyond expanding bilateral defense cooperation, he said. In the foreseeable future, bilateral military relationship will decide whether or not the two sides can control conflicts when upgraded disputes occur.

Yao Yunzhu, a researcher with the Academy of Military Sciences of the People's Liberation Army, noticed that military and security relationship will be the indicator of mutual trust between China and the United States. "Building a new-type relationship between two powers and a new-type military relationship will input positive energy to the Asia-Pacific. By then, many current problems will be solved under the framework of such relationships," she said. Yao added that the common interests between the two sides also require further communication and cooperation on regional issues to avoid unexpected conflicts because of misjudgment.

The military relationship has lagged far behind other relationships between China and the United States, especially the economic relationship, said Jin Canrong, Associate Dean of the School of International Studies with the Renmin University of China. "China made a good start of showing trust and transparency by inviting Hagel to visit its only aircraft carrier in spite of his inappropriate speech in Japan," said Jin.

Hagel became the first foreigner to visit the Liaoning on April 7. It was a genuine gesture of China as carriers have always been treated with a symbolic standing in not only military but also a nation's comprehensive strength.

Inviting Hagel to visit the carrier showed China's good faith of building a new-type military relationship with the United States, said Jin. "China is frank and faithful enough to show its sincerity. Now it's Washington's turn to make a gesture."