It prescribes a a non-binding approach in which all participants have the opportunity to air views, but absent consensus, does not bind the participants to a specific course of action. In broad terms, both China and the U.S. also believe that CBMs reduce uncertainty, misperception and suspicion and reduce the possibility of incidental or accidental war. From the U.S. point of view, transparency is the concept behind most CBMs. While China is suspicious that transparency is an attempt by others to expose their military capabilities, as a general proposition they support CBMs that are voluntary and facilitate dialogue. As alluded to, the most fundamental disagreement in concepts of security between the Chinese and U.S. is the area of bilateral military alliances.
China is very clear that it is against military alliances.
These alliances are characterized as Cold War relics, and China asserts that the U.S. initiatives over the past few years to reinvigorate and strengthen bilateral alliances has actually added to instability. China has long been dissatisfied with the current international system. But they continue to work toward that end, and the new concept provides a framework for political, economic and security relationships in that future world. The concept suggests that China may be beginning to see its security in global rather than regional terms. A mere 20 years after China under Deng decided to open itself to the outside world China is able to espouse a vision of how all nations should interact.