The Wall Street Journal-20080116-U-S- Admiral More Hopeful on China
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U.S. Admiral More Hopeful on China
BEIJING -- Adm. Timothy Keating, the top U.S. commander in the Asian-Pacific region, said he is "more optimistic" about relations with China on his second trip to the country in the past year.
His remarks to reporters yesterday, coming after China turned away U.S. ships from Hong Kong's port in November, suggest that relations soured by those incidents are now on the mend. Adm. Keating said Chinese officials gave him no clear reasons for refusing the ships but that he wanted to look beyond that and to the future.
Adm. Keating said he informed Chinese authorities that another ship will be calling on Hong Kong soon and that Chinese authorities responded positively.
The admiral said he urged Chinese officials to be more transparent in military matters. China's defense budget has been growing at double-digit percentages annually for the past decade, fueling U.S. concerns. China's military spending rose about 18% in 2007 to about $46 billion.
