Top China, US military brass meet at Pentagon

World Today

Fan and Carter meetChinese Gen. Fan Changlong salutes as the Chinese National Anthem is played at the Pentagon June 11, 2015, next to U.S. Secretary of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter (R) before the two attended private meetings in Washington, DC. (AFP PHOTO/PAUL J. RICHARDS)

General Fan Changlong, Vice Chair of China’s Central Military Commission, met with his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Thursday during his five day visit to the U.S.

Fan- Carter

General Fan Changlong and U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter walk into the Pentagon Thursday, June 11, 2015. (Roee Ruttenberg / CCTV America)

Previous to the meeting, Fan visited two military bases in California and one in Texas. On Friday morning, Fan is scheduled to join U.S. Army General Ray Odierno to sign a U.S.-China ‘Mil-to-Mil’ Dialogue Mechanism (AADM) at the National Defense University. The two met in Beijing in February 2014 when Odierno visited China.

The Chinese delegation started the U.S. trip on Monday, with visits to a Boeing factory in Seattle, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego, and the Army base at Fort Hood, Texas, before heading to Washington.

The high-level meeting has drawn special attention because it comes just two weeks after Carter publicly criticized China for its construction work on reefs and islets in the South China Sea. China has described the work as totally within its sovereign rights, while U.S. officials accused China of being provocative and changing the status quo.

The two countries also have been confronted with major challenges in cyber security. The US Justice Department indicted five People’s Liberation Army officers on cyber espionage charges a year ago, triggering protests from the Chinese government and military and resulting in the suspension of the bilateral working group on cyber security.

China Daily USA.

Pentagon’s top brass welcomed China’s top military leader
General Fan Changlong was hosted by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter. The high-level talks come amid heightened tensions between China and the U.S.

CCTV America’s Roee Ruttenberg filed this report from the Pentagon.


Reactions on social media to China’s military brass’ visit to the US
CCTV America’s Digital Editor Elizabeth Shell gave a roundup of some reactions and commentary on social media about Gen. Fan’s visit to the U.S. and meetings with his counterpart, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, at the Pentagon.