Opening Statement of Carolyn Bartholomew, Chairman
March 4, 2009
Washington, D.C.
Good morning and welcome to the second hearing of the U.S.-China Commission’s 2009 reporting cycle. Today, the Commission will examine China’s global military and security activities and their impact on U.S. economic and security interests. Our purpose in this hearing is to collect information about the direction of China’s military modernization; to discern the scope, strategies, and intentions of Chinese military activities abroad; and to analyze how this experience may affect U.S. security interests in Asia and elsewhere around the world.
As we speak, the United States and China are engaged in multilateral anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. This mission in the Gulf of Aden is the first long-term deployment for PLA naval forces outside of China’s territorial waters. It is important to understand how this mission reflects the current direction and objectives of the Chinese military, and how the experience and capabilities obtained through this mission may be put to use in other scenarios.
The panels in this hearing will look at the strategic orientation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and other security forces in China, the influence of Chinese security activities abroad, and the operations in which PLA forces are engaged. I hope that the testimony will provide the Commission with an understanding of the trends of China’s military activities around the world and offer suggestions for the diplomatic and military tools the United States can best use to ensure the protection of its interests around the globe.
To help us understand these issues, we will be joined by a number of expert witnesses from the Government, academia, and the private sector. We are pleased to welcome two representatives from the Administration: Mr. John J. Norris, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, and Mr. David Sedney, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asian Affairs. We are especially grateful that Deputy Assistant Secretary Sedney could participate given his recent return from the Defense Policy Coordination Talks in Beijing. The Commission’s Vice Chairman, Larry Wortzel, is serving with me as the hearing co-chair and has opening remarks. Once again, I welcome all of you to this hearing, and I now turn to Vice Chairman Wortzel for his opening statement.