摘要
When he set foot in China for the first time as U.S. defense sec- retary on September 17, LeonPanetta might have been uncertain about how Chinese officials would treat him. Indeed, his visit came at a sensitive mo- ment when regional tensions are jeopardizing trust between the world＇s two biggest econo- mies. While a bolstered U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific remains a prime concern, many in China question Washington＇s role in the territorial spat between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands. Just a day before Panetta arrived in Beijing, the United States secured an agreement to put a second missile defense radar system in Japan.
Visits and talks will make a difference in friction-prone Sino-U.S. military relations When he set foot in China for the first time as U.S. defense secretary on September 17,
