By Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON — Economic ties between the US and China may discourage open conflict between the two Pacific powerhouses, but the best way to avoid a future war in the region is by increasing military-to-military relationships, a quartet of former secretaries of defense said last week.
Speaking at a Jan. 11 event hosted by the National Committee on US China Relations, former Secretaries Harold Brown (1977-1981), William Perry (1994-1997), William Cohen (1997-2001) and Chuck Hagel (2013-2015) agreed that the US needs to bolster the military exchanges of officers and information as a way to improve cultural understanding between the two nations.
All four men unequivocally support hosting officers from the People’s Liberation Army at DoD centers of learning, such as West Point. Cohen also encouraged the US to invite the Chinese to join more military exercises in the Pacific region, something that has happened occasionally in the past.
The men also agreed that using the military commanders in the Pacific to lead the building of those relationships is key.
“I would say as someone who has walked on both sides of the street, the political side and the administration side, politicians have to listen more to our military,” Hagel said. “And I don’t mean changing the Constitution. I mean listen to our military. They get it better than most politicians on things like this. And some of the finest statesmen I’ve ever met in my life are in military uniform.”
Those comments were particularly interesting in light of reported tensions between the White House and the Pentagon during his tenure.
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