The Case for a Really Long Engagement

The Obama administration will inherit ties with China that are generally good and in some areas deepening. Of notable exception are military relations.

In October, Beijing suspended military contacts with the United States after the Bush administration moved forward with portions of a Taiwan arms sales package in limbo since 2001. This is the fifth time since 1989 that either the United States or China has suspended or postponed military contacts.

Such suspensions are regrettable. The two defense establishments had recently made progress on important initiatives such as establishing a defense "hotline" to avoid miscommunication during a crisis, but the latest turn of events underscores yet again the fragility of military relations.

It serves neither Beijing's nor Washington's interests to halt military contacts at every diplomatic bump. The stakes are just too high. There are many areas where the two militaries could be cooperating, and there are significant areas of disagreement and tension between the two that demand management.

Beijing will probably end the current moratorium on military contacts some time after the Obama administration takes office. But doing so will not dispel the miasma of mutual distrust that serves as a backdrop to the military relationship, and dealing head on with this suspicion will be the key to all other possibilities. After next Jan. 20, Beijing will have a new opportunity to re-engage its U.S. military counterparts on critical issues such as strategic nuclear doctrine. President-elect Obama has promised to make engagement, dialogue and good old-fashioned listening central parts of his foreign-policy approach. In dealing with the Chinese military, that philosophy will be put to the test. Let's hope that both sides can soon get on with the important business at hand.

David M. Finkelstein is vice president of CNA, a non-profit research institute in Alexandria, and the director of its China studies program.