US wants to improve military ties with China

WASHINGTON: The US would continue to work to improve its military ties with China, the Pentagon has said, distancing itself from remarks made by a senior American Navy official who said Beijing is training for a short war.

"We all continue to believe that the peaceful, prosperous rise of China is a good thing for the region, for the world," Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters at a news conference.

"We continue to want to improve our bilateral military relations with China and that we also think that a major component of that is increased transparency on their part about the investments they're making and the operations they're conducting," Kirby said.

He, however, refused to answer question related to the reported remarks by Navy Captain James Fanell, deputy chief of staff intelligence and information systems for the US Pacific Fleet, who said China is training for a short war with Japan.

"I've outlined pretty clearly what our posture is about China and where our relationship is with that country right now. It would be inappropriate for me to speak to the intentions or motivations of another foreign nation and their military," Kirby said.

"It's for China to speak to China's intentions and motivations and their relations with their neighbors. Nothing's changed about our view here. With respect to the disputes, the maritime disputes and the different claims, nothing's changed about our desire to see that those claims be adjudicated peacefully, diplomatically, and through international norms," he added.