Gen. Lori Robinson recently made her first trip to China in her new role as head of Pacific Air Forces, while a C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft and 15 airmen based in Hawaii remain in the country for an air show, officials said.
The China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, which began Monday and ends Sunday in the southern city of Zhuhai, is intended to showcase the People’s Republic’s military rise.
China demonstrated its new J-31 stealth fighter, which resembles the U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Robinson, who was in China earlier this week, was "representing the U.S. Air Force at the air show, as well as at the associated Military Flight and Training Conference, which offers an important opportunity for her to engage with her counterpart air chiefs from nations throughout the Asia-Pacific region," said Capt. Susan Harrington, a Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman.
The C-17 out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, with active-duty members of the 15th Wing, was sent to "showcase the U.S. Air Force’s ability to rapidly deliver search and rescue teams, lifesaving equipment and urgently needed supplies," Harrington said in an email.
"It’s the newest and most flexible cargo aircraft in the Air Force and has supported multiple contingency events, including delivering humanitarian assistance following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake," she said. "The airmen who attended this air show are ambassadors for our nation.
"Additionally, participating in this air show furthers PACAF’s commitment to building a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China," Harrington said.
It was the first time the U.S. Air Force has participated in the Zhuhai air show, she said. The C-17 and crew participation at the air show was estimated to cost about $350,000, the Air Force said.
Two C-17s out of Hickam delivered nearly 200,000 pounds of relief supplies to China in May 2008 following an earthquake, according to the service.
In February of the same year, a C-17 from Hickam delivered relief supplies following a severe winter storm.
Earlier this week President Barack Obama was in China for an Asian economic summit and met with President Xi Jinping.
The White House said the United States and China agreed to military-to-military "confidence-building mechanisms" including notification of major military activities and "rules of behavior" for the safety of air and maritime encounters.
