Secretary Cohen Sept. 19 News Briefing in Bangkok

DoD News Briefing 

Secretary of Defense William Cohen

September 19, 2000

(Press conference in Bangkok, Thailand)


Q: James East from the Straits Times. Thanks. Last year, Andrew
Marshall, a Pentagon official, came up with an Asia 2025 report which
projected into the future. And, it rejected the view that
Chinese-American relations might evolve gently and fruitfully.
"Whether stronger or relatively weak, China will be a constant
competitor of the United States," The report concludes: "A powerful
China will be constantly challenging the status quo in East Asia, and,
an unstable and relatively weak China can be dangerous because its
state leaders might try to bolster their power with military
adventurism." How do you see China developing and what ways do you see
it threatening U.S. interests?


Cohen: Well, first of all, Andy Marshall did not file a report as
such. He examined a number of potential options which might evolve in
the next twenty years. Which is precisely what he is charged to do --
to try to look and peer into the future to see what potentialities
might exist and what would be the United States' response to those
potentialities. It's been very clear from this administration, the
Clinton administration, that we believe that positive engagement with
China is very important for the future development of China and for
the evolution of a successful integration into the international
community of a growing power. And so, President Clinton has indicated
that we want to engage China for that reason. Recognizing that there
are bound to be areas where we will have disputes or contentions over
issues, but they must be resolved peacefully and diplomatically. And
so, President Clinton has pursued a course of engagement. I have spent
a good deal of time travelling to China, meeting with my counterparts,
most recently having traveled there in July. And I must say that the
reception that I received was very warm, very positive, and
constructive. And we have reestablished good military-to-military
relations, with a purpose of once again keeping this relationship on
track, understanding that China will continue to grow as an economic
power and will increase its military capabilities. If we engage China
in a way that is positive, then I think that we can continue to
promote peace and stability throughout the region. In addition, I
would point out that we intend to maintain a presence in the
Asia-Pacific Region. And that presence is indispensable for the
continued stability and prosperity of the entire region. If the United
States were not present, that would create a vacuum which would be
filled by a number of competing and contending interests and
countries. That would be adverse to China's interests and to the
interests of all in the region. So we have made it very clear that we
intend to maintain a presence throughout Asia-Pacific with the purpose
of maintaining stability and promoting prosperity.