AFP, BEIJING: Security talks between China's Ministry of Defense and its United States counterparts began Monday, with the two sides likely to discuss heightening tensions across the Taiwan Straits, officials said.
“Richard Lawless, deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Asia Pacific region is leading the US side in the security dialogue,” a US embassy spokeswoman told AFP.
The talks would center on security issues in the region, including those related to Taiwan and North Korea, she said.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency called the talks “the first-ever special policy dialogue” between the two defense ministries.
It was not immediately clear who Lawless' counterpart would be.
“Progress in the two armies' relations is in the common interests of the two nations,” Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan was quoted by Xinhua as telling former US defense minister William Perry in talks last week.
Last year saw “fairly smooth progress” in Sino-US military relations, as evidenced by improved ties and increased exchanges between the two armies, said Cao, who is also a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Monday's security talks follow an October visit to Washington by General Liang Guanglie, chairman of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army.
He was told by then US Secretary of State Colin Powell that the US was committed to defend Taiwan in accordance with the legally binding Taiwan Relations Act.
In July, Admiral Thomas Fargo, commander in chief of the US Pacific Command, visited Beijing and had similar discussions with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who urged Washington to end weapons sales to the island.
China considers Taiwan the “core” issue facing US-China relations, and has warned Washington that any moves by Taipei toward formal independence could mean war across the Taiwan Straits.
Since civil war ended in 1949, Beijing has considered Taiwan part of Chinese sovereignty and has vowed to reunify the island.
