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Keating, who assumed command of U.S. armed forces in the Pacific on March 26, said he wanted to come to the People's Republic of China very early in his tour of duty to develop a relationship with the country's political and military leaders.
The admiral met with General Guo Boxiong, one of the vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission, General Zhang Qinsheng, deputy chief of staff within the People's Liberation Army and Vice Admiral Wu Shengli. Keating also met with Deputy Foreign Minister He Yafei and Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yasui.
Aside from meeting high-ranking officials, the admiral's itinerary during the May 10-14 visit included a talk at the PLA's National Defense University, some sightseeing in Beijing and a trip to the Nanjing military region where he reviewed the 179th Brigade, a ground infantry unit.
The key component of developing a positive Sino-U.S. military relationship is a clear understanding of where the two countries stand on the issue of Taiwan, which the mainland considers a breakaway province. Under the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the U.S. is committed to preventing political reunification by means of force.
At a briefing Saturday a Chinese reporter asked Admiral Keating if American policy toward Taiwan had changed after a recent statement that the island is not considered a part of the U.S.-Japan mutual security pact.
"America's policy toward Taiwan has been, and remains, a matter of record," Keating said. "We had discussions with China's leadership where we reemphasized, to no surprise on either party's part, that we understand the Taiwan Relations Act, the three joint communiqués, and the three no's is a matter of long-standing policy."
The three no's are: no support for Taiwan independence; no support for the idea of 'one China, one Taiwan' and no support for Taiwan joining international organizations composed of sovereign states.
The admiral said, "Our job at the U.S. Pacific Command is to execute the orders of the President of the United States, and it's clear there is no change."
Keating was also asked by several American reporters to comment on Taiwan's declining spending on defense as a percentage of its gross domestic product over the last seven to eight years, and criticism in Washington that the island is getting a free ride from the United States and not paying for its own protection.
On the issue of the island's declining military spending, Keating said, "Our emphasis for Taiwan is, and will remain, a defensive capability, whatever percentage they chose to allocate of this amorphous gross domestic product figure."
Keating added: "I would cite, and perhaps acknowledge the obvious: there is no conflict across the Taiwan Strait now, we've maintained peace and stability for decades, and I am unaware of any looming threat, therefore I think the percentage of GDP they are allocating for defense is appropriate. It's manifestly effective."
On the question of whether or not the United States bears too much of the burden for Taiwan's defense, the admiral said he didn't know "the specifics of the policy" as to who was advocating more or less spending for Taiwan. "I'm not disagreeing, but to me the manifest evidence is pretty clear ... their defensive capabilities are adequate to the task."
