PLA Freezes out Pentagon, Sustains Military-to-Military Relations with U.S. Allies
Publication: China Brief Volume: 23 Issue: 7
By: John S. Van Oudenaren
April 14, 2023 04:02 PM Age: 22 hours
At the conclusion of French President Emmanuel Macron’s April 5-7 state visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the two sides released a joint statement laying out 51 priorities for “opening new prospects in bilateral relations” and “fostering momentum in China-EU relations” (PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs [FMPRC], April 7). While much of the joint statement focuses on deepening economic ties, strengthening cultural exchanges and enhancing cooperation on transnational challenges such as climate change, the document also addresses global security issues and bilateral military-to-military relations. The section on “jointly promoting world security and stability” lists eight shared priorities, including, strengthening the UN Security Council, preventing nuclear conflict, supporting non-proliferation regimes, restoring peace in Ukraine and promoting a diplomatic resolution of the Iran nuclear issue. Although the statement does not explicitly mention the PRC’s recently launched Global Security Initiative (GSI), the points made therein echo many of its key organizing principles and lend weight to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s efforts to position the PRC as a leader in international security affairs (China Brief, March 3). In addition to reaffirming both sides’ willingness to promote the “continuous development” of the China-France strategic partnership, the joint statement also notes that both sides have “agreed to deepen exchanges on strategic issues,” with a specific emphasis on enhancing dialogue between the “People’s Liberation Army [PLA] Southern Theater Command and the French Armed Forces in the Pacific, in order to strengthen mutual understanding on international and regional security issues” (FMPRC, April 7).
https://jamestown.org/program/pla-freezes-out-pentagon-sustains-military-to-military-relations-with-u-s-allies/
