U.S., China Military Officials Sign Accord Defense Secretary Oks Pact To Avoid Armed Conflicts At Sea

In a small step to build trust between the militaries of China and the United States, Defense Secretary William Perry and his Chinese counterpart on Monday signed an accord designed to avoid naval and air conflicts at sea.

In a brief ceremony at Diaoyutai, a government guest house complex, Gen. Chi Haotian told Cohen the agreement “marked a new and substantive progress in relations between the two countries and between the two militaries.”

The accord, which Cohen said was the United States’ first formal agreement with the People’s Liberation Army, was set last October when President Jiang Zemin met with President Clinton in Washington. Monday’s signing puts it into effect. In remarks at the ceremony, Cohen said the agreement will reduce the chances for miscalculation as the U.S. and Chinese navies come in more regular contact at sea.

“This agreement demonstrates the maturing relationship between our militaries,” Cohen said.

Before the signing ceremony, Cohen visited an air defense command center outside Beijing. American reporters traveling with Cohen were not allowed to accompany him.

U.S. officials said Monday’s visit to the air defense headquarters was the first by any foreigner. They said the Chinese had been so secretive about the site that until this month they denied it existed; Cohen’s trip planners were not given the address of the site until a few days before he arrived in Beijing on Saturday.

Cohen’s visit to China is the first by an American secretary of defense since 1994.

Sunday afternoon, Chi welcomed Cohen to Beijing with a military honors ceremony and an assurance that China wants to develop closer relations with the United States.