Strengthening Military-to-Military Ties

U.S.-China Sanya InitiativeReport from the 5th meeting

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Chinese Delegation

General (ret.) Ge ZhenfengFormer Deputy Chief of the General Staff, People’s Liberation Army; Former President, Academy of Military Sciences

General Ge Zhenfeng joined the PLA in 1962 and the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1965. In addition to posts within the PLA, General Ge has served as vice president of the National Defense University of the PLA and presi-dent of the PLA Military Academy of Sciences. He was a member of both the 16th and 17th CPC Cen-tral Committees and served as deputy director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress from 2010 to 2013.

General (ret.) Li QianyuanFormer Commander, Lanzhou Military Area

General Li Qianyuan joined the PLA in 1961. Over a 20-year military career, he served in various capaci-ties, including squad leader, platoon leader, training staff officer, vice section chief, regimental chief, vice colonel, colonel and division chief of staff. His last military posi-tion was commander of the Lanzhou Military Area and he was promoted to the rank of general in 2004. General Li currently serves as the vice director of the Countryside Committee of the National People’s Congress.

General (ret.) Zheng ShenxiaFormer General, People’s Liberation Army Air Force; Former President, Academy of Military Sciences

General Zheng Shenxia joined the PLA in 1958. From 1989 to 1996, he served as chief of staff of the 7th Army of the Air Force, commander of the 7th Army of the Air Force and principal of the College of Air Force Command. In 1999, he became chief of staff of the Air Force and was promoted to the rank of general in 2004.

Lieutenant General (ret.) Wang LiangwangFormer Deputy Commander, People’s Liberation Army Air Force

Lieutenant General Wang Liangwang joined the PLA in 1964 after graduating from the Beijing Air Force College. From 1964 to 1987, he rose through the ranks of the Air Force to become base com-mander, and he also served as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 10th National People’s Congress. General Wang was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in 1998 and served as deputy commander of the Air Force until 2003.

Strengthening Military-to-Military Ties

The EastWest Institute in partnership with the China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC)

convened the 5th meeting of the U.S.-China Sanya Initiative, which took place on December 9-13, 2013. Senior retired flag officers of the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps traveled to Beijing and Chengdu, China to meet with retired senior generals of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to discuss critical issues in the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship. The delegations spent two days in off-the-record dialogue in Chengdu and also met with

General Zhang Yang, director of the General Political Department of the PLA and member of the Central Military Commission, and General Li Zuocheng, commander of the Chengdu Military Area.

The Chengdu dialogue sessions covered a range of topics of military and political importance to the United States and China. Discussion focused on Taiwan; cybersecurity and regional security in Northeast Asia; and also addressed other issues such as the U.S. rebalancing strategy to Asia, North Korea, the East China Sea, Islamic extremism and managing

the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship. Both sides agreed that cultivating communication and mutual understanding between the militaries of the United States and China is essential for fostering the cooperation necessary to address the world’s most difficult issues.

Since 2008, the Sanya Initiative has regularly brought together retired American and Chinese senior generals in order to build stronger military-to-military ties between the U.S. and China. EWI expects to host the next round in the United States in 2014.

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Vice Admiral (ret.) Wang YuchengFormer Deputy Commander, Lüshun Naval Base

Vice Admiral Wang Yucheng is the former deputy commander of Lüshun Naval Base (Port Arthur). From 1994 to 2000, Vice Admiral Wang served as the naval deputy chief of staff and held the position of naval chief of staff from 2000 to 2003. In 2001, he was promoted to the rank of vice admiral.

General (ret.) John P. AbizaidFormer Commander, U.S. Central Command

General John Abizaid is a senior partner at JPA Partners LLC, a strategic and ana-lytic consulting firm. He retired from the U.S. Army in May 2007 after 34 years of service, which culminated with a position as commander of U.S. Central Com-mand (CENTCOM). He currently serves as the distinguished chair at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center and sits on the board of directors of USAA and RPM International.

General (ret.) James E. CartwrightFormer Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

General James Cartwright is the Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and Interna-tional Studies (CSIS). He entered the military in 1971 as a naval flight officer and pilot and was promoted to progres-sively higher positions, eventually becoming commander of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2007. General Cartwright retired from the military in 2011.

Admiral (ret.) William A. OwensFormer Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Admiral William Owens is the managing director of AEA Investors, Hong Kong. He served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1994 to 1996 and was the commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. Since retiring from the military, Admiral Owens has served on the board of directors of 19 public companies and has founded 2 technology companies. He also sits on several philanthropic boards, including the Carnegie Foundation, the Brookings In-stitution and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

U.S. Delegation

General (ret.) Walter L. SharpFormer Commander, United Nations Command; Former Commander, Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command; Former Commander, United States Forces Korea

General Walter Sharp commanded the United Nations Command, Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea from 2008 to 2011. He has also commanded troops in Iraq, Haiti and Bosnia. General Sharp currently consults for several companies, is the honorary chairman for the Department of Defense Korean War Commemora-tion Committee and serves on the board of directors for the Korean War National Museum, Library and Cultural Center.

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“Frankness and openness is really what develops friendships and relationships and what allows this forum to be so successful.”

Gen. Walter L. SharpFORMER COMMANDER OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA-U.S. COMBINED FORCES COMMAND

U.S. and Chinese Delegation Activities

Meeting with General Zhang Yang, director of the General Political Department of the PLA

Meeting with General Li Zuocheng, commander of the Chengdu Military Area

Two-day dialogue session on Taiwan, cybersecurity and Northeast Asian security

Briefing and tour of the Chengdu Military Base

Visit to the Jianchuan Museum and Jinsha Ruins

Local cultural performances at Shu Feng Ya Yun

Special ThanksHost and Partner Organization

China Association for International Friendly Contact

and Initiative Sponsors

Joel H. CowanKathryn W. DavisChina-United States Exchange FoundationMacArthur FoundationStarr Foundation

Beijing

Chengdu