Ex-military men think it’s best to hold hands with China

Today a group of retired military officials met to discuss their experiences, activities, and interactions with Chinese military leaders. Known as the “Sanya Initiative”, the intention of visiting China was to foster better communication and understanding between the United States and China without necessarily promoting a political agenda.

Only three members of the group were present at the briefing: Gen. Ronald R. Fogelman, Adm. William A. Owens, and Gen. John M. Keane. Gen. Fogelman, former chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, explained that the idea behind Sanya was to have an open dialogue with China because it will be the single most important international relationship the U.S. will have in the 21st century.
The retirees were struck by the commonalities they found among their Chinese military counterparts. Adm. William A. Owens, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recalled “open, friendly” conversations with other military professionals that had also travelled the world, fought for a cause, and trained for most of their lives. Adm. Owens said that although the other men came from different cultures, they had a bond because of their experiences in the military.

Another lesson the group took home with them is that miscalculation results from no dialogue. For instance, Gen. John M. Keane, former vice chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, found that although the men had great respect for the U.S., they were ignorant about how earth devastating 9/11 was to Americans. The group was surprised to find that the Chinese leaders did not consider China a “superpower”, Gen. Fogelman said.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is deeply respected in China, but the PLA is not as mobile and efficient as the U.S. military, Gen. Fogelman said. The group stressed the importance of understanding what is important to China so that the U.S. does not make poor policy decisions. Gen. Fogelman suggested that the U.S. pay closer attention to events happening in Taiwan.