The Chinese Foreign Ministry notes that Rumsfeld’s first visit to Beijing will take place from Tuesday to Thursday. Among the topics of discussion, says spokesman Kong Quan, will be “bilateral and military relations between the two countries.” He also says, “The visit is imperative and helpful to promote mutual understanding.”
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…