General Richard B. Myers, USAF (Ret.) leads AFPC Delegation to China

Between June 17-21, 2006, a ten-person American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) delegation led by General Richard B. Myers, USAF (Ret.), former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. armed forces visited China. Delegation members included former Undersecretary. of Defense Dov Zakheim; Gen. Wayne Downing, former Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command; former NSC Arms Control Director Sven Kraemer, and other national security experts. The trip marked the 24th such exchange of views facilitated by AFPC over the past 12 years.

During their six days in China, members of the delegation met with numerous high ranking officials, including General Liang Guanglie, Chief of the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army; former Chinese intelligence head Xiong Guangkail and, China’s top foreign policy official, State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan.

While in Beijing and Chengdu, the capital of Schuan province, delegation members discussed a range of contemporary foreign policy challenges, including the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran, the War on Terror, Taiwan’s relationship with Beijing and the prospects for greater military-to-military cooperation between the U.S. and China.

AFPC will host a reciprocal delegation visit from China in late August. Their time in Washington will feature meetings on similar topics with U.S. officials and foreign policy experts. The delegation will also have the opportunity to experience life outside the Washington Beltway, with scheduled visits to both New Hampshire and Maine.