Between September 22-30, AFPC sponsored a ten person delegation to the People’s Republic of China. The group, led by former Reagan National Security Advisor Robert “Bud” McFarlane, included AFPC President Herman Pirchner, Pentagon Defense Science Board Chairman William Schnieder, former Senator Robert Kasten, Citibank Managing Director Kent Lucken, Stefan Halper of Cambridge University, AFPC Vice Presidents John Wobensmith and Ilan Berman, and AFPC Senior Fellow in Asia Studies Stephen Yates.

During their eight-day visit, delegation members held high-level meetings with Communist Party of China (CPC), government, and military officials in Beijing, as well as local and regional officials in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Meetings included: Mr. Dai Bingguo, Head of the Foreign Affairs Office of the CPC Central Committee and soon to be named State Councilor (China’s top foreign policy post); Mr. Sheng Huaren, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress; Mr. He Ning, Director General for Northern American Affairs, Ministry of Commerce; Mr. Zhang Zhijun, Vice Minister, International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee; Mr. Wang Jiarui, Director, International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee; Admiral Yang Yi, Director, Institute of Strategic Studies at China’s National Defense University; and, Mr. Xiong Guangkai, President, China Institute for International Strategic Studies.

Chinese officials who met with the delegation intoned repeatedly that not only are both China and the U.S. “stakeholders” in the international system, they are also “partners in cooperation.” The American delegation acknowledged Chinese help on North Korea but noted that without more aggressive Chinese cooperation on Iran, events could move in unpredictable directions.

There was also a tendency to minimize China’s responsibility for policy differences. Delegation members heard from Chinese officials that the current scandal over unsafe Chinese-manufactured products was in fact the fault of the United States itself; high demand from which was compelling Chinese manufacturers to cut corners.

Overall, the delegation sensed a growing confidence from Chinese officials. The message was clear: China is rising economically and politically, and will continue to do so for the near future, thus affording China greater freedom of action on the world stage. As one PRC official put it, China is experiencing “growing independence” in international affairs.

This assertiveness was especially evident on the questions of Taiwan. For the first time, many delegation members heard that “it is time to solve the Taiwan problem.”