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institutions and modernize your forces -- including an emphasis on advanced
conventional technologies -- the ultimate purpose of this effort remains unclear to
most Americans. Is China seeking to expand its defensive perimeter or its
regional hegemony? Will you be satisfied with your status as a regional power or
will your desire to reach outward expand with your capabilities to do so? Will
China be the next military superpower in competition with the United States for
global influence? Only China can answer those questions.

Recent Chinese military activity in southeast Asia has raised concern
among some of your neighbors who wonder about Chinese intentions and
pose similar questions.The answers to at least some of these questions may
emerge with the release of China's next defense White Paper scheduled for later
this year. I hope that this document will provide us with a better understanding of
how China sees itself into the next century. I also hope that the White Paper will
stress the continued need for military transparency within the PLA. Such
transparency is a useful confidence building measure.

Your country is clearly an ascendant military power. The purposes to which you
put that power will be of continuing interest to the United States. Over the next
two years, my subcommittee plans to hold numerous hearings on the military
capabilities and potential of the PLA. We will also consider China's military
strategy and doctrine. Continuing disagreements between our two countries
make it all the more important that we gain a better understanding of each other's
military objectives and capabilities.

These are vexing problems that may require prolonged dialogue and years of
hard work to resolve. However, I believe that the task of resolving them would be
easier if we could point to other examples of Sino-American cooperation. In
particular, I would like to suggest that it may be possible to work cooperatively by
harnessing defense technology in the service of the environment.

China is still in some ways a developing country. As such, it suffers from the
usual byproducts of rapid modernization. Air pollution, soil erosion, and the fall of
the water table all pose a danger to China's long-term economic growth and
prosperity.

My country, too, has had to deal with these problems. As the size of our military
shrinks, we have sought ways to adapt our military technologies for use in the
preservation and enhancement of the environment. Our experiences in this
regard are, of course, unique. However, it strikes me as both practical and
desirable to share our experiences with you and to work cooperatively to ensure
that both our peoples enjoy the highest quality of life possible.

Within the United States Congress, I have been an outspoken proponent of joint
defense conversion and environmental restoration projects with the Russians.
Our experience in this endeavor leads me to believe that it might prove to be a
fruitful area for joint Sino-American cooperation as well. I have explored this