[Global Times-Global Network Report by Guo Yuandan] On the 11th, the 2020 China and the US military humanitarian relief and disaster reduction seminars and exchanges were held as scheduled, signaling that the Chinese and US militaries are still committed to stability.
Esper (data map)
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced the news on the afternoon of the 11th. At the same time, the headline of the news release on the US Department of Defense website is about a series of personnel changes of the Department of Defense starting on the 9th local time, involving the US Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the chief of staff: US President Trump announced his dismissal on the 9th. Former Defense Secretary Esper and Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller took office that day. On the 10th, the acting deputy minister in charge of policy affairs, the deputy minister in charge of security and intelligence, and the chief of staff submitted their resignations, and the acting secretary of defense Miller made new appointments to these three positions.
In spite of this, consistent with the announcement by Wu Qian, spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense, at the regular press conference at the end of October, the Sino-US military humanitarian relief and disaster reduction seminars and exchanges were held as scheduled. This is also the third interaction between the Chinese and American armies since October 20th. On October 20th, senior officials of the US Department of Defense communicated with Zeng, a leader of the Office of International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission, to exchange views on the relationship between the two militaries and issues of common concern. From October 28th to 29th, the US and Chinese militaries held a video conference of the crisis communication working group. According to news from
, the seminar was organized through video conferences in Nanjing, China and Hawaii, the United States. The two sides will start a three-day course on the military's participation in flood relief, typhoon prevention, prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, and military-civilian cooperation. The purpose of the exchange is to share the experience of the two militaries in humanitarian relief and disaster reduction. It is worth noting that this seminar has advanced with the times and has been injected with new content: the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic. In the face of this new topic, the two sides will learn from each other. According to a report on the US "Military" website on November 4, as of the beginning of November, a total of 58,968 people in the US military had been infected with the new crown virus and 9 cases of new crown death. In the prevention of the new crown epidemic, the Chinese military has performed well.
This is the 16th seminar and exchange held by the Chinese and US militaries under the Humanitarian Relief and Disaster Reduction Exchange Mechanism. Public reports show that the humanitarian rescue and disaster reduction exchange mechanism between the Chinese and US militaries started in 1997 and has so far carried out 16 seminars and exchanges and 8 real-force drills. This is one of the most stable mechanisms between the Chinese and American militaries. Even though the United States launched a national security strategy at the end of 2017, positioning China as its primary strategic competitor, the United States cancelled China’s participation in the “Han Tai” exercise in 2018 and the Sino-US exercise in 2019. When the trade war is fierce, the humanitarian relief and disaster reduction exchanges between the Chinese and US militaries are still being held as scheduled. A military expert told the Global Times that because non-traditional security areas such as rescue and disaster reduction and medical care are less sensitive and less controversial, it has become the main way for China and the United States to maintain cooperation and exchanges between the two militaries. The main way in time, this also provides opportunities for the exchanges and mutual understanding between the Chinese and American militaries, especially in sensitive periods, this has also become a window for the outside world to observe the relationship between the Chinese and American militaries. A source told the Global Times that this is a signal that the Chinese and American armed forces are still committed to stability. Wu Qian said at a regular press conference in October that China is willing to continue to uphold the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation, and strive to promote the development of Sino-US relations on a coordinated, cooperative, and stable track.
So will the current personnel changes of the US Department of Defense affect the normal communication between the Chinese and US militaries? Wu Qian previously stated that before the end of the year, the Chinese and US militaries will also hold a video conference for maritime military security consultations, so whether the conference can be held as scheduled becomes an important observation point.
Professor Li Haidong of the Chinese Foreign Affairs University said in an interview with the Global Times on the 11th that if nothing goes wrong, there are currently 70 days before the beginning of the next US presidential term. Trump will change officials in key positions in the Department of Defense at this time. It is likely to affect the normal communication and interaction between the Chinese and American armed forces. The next 70 days will be a highly sensitive period, especially with regard to China policy, which requires a high degree of vigilance. Those familiar with the U.S. military system believe that the U.S. policy toward China is determined by its national security policy. No matter who comes to power at the Pentagon, the policy will remain unchanged and the tone toward China will remain unchanged. Personnel changes in key positions will have an impact on the relationship between the two militaries, but the impact is limited. It remains to be seen in which aspects it will have an impact.
