Surprise: United States-China military ties improving

Today marks the start of Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2014, the largest naval exercise in the world. For the first time, China is among the participants in this US-organized exercise. China’s participation in RIMPAC is unlikely to fundamentally change the nature of US-China military-to-military relations. However, in the midst of angry rhetoric on both sides (particularly at the Shangri-La Dialogue), it’s easy to forget that the military aspect of the US-China relationship has actually been on the upswing in recent years.

Coming from fragile ties