China, US hold highest-level military talks in 14 months

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 10, 2004

China, US hold highest-level military talks in 14 months

China and US officials added to the recovering military ties between the two countries by opening a round of high-level defense consultations at vice defense ministerial level Tuesday morning in Beijing.

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Senior Chinese and US military officials began their sixth round of consultations on defense at vice defense ministerial level Tuesday morning in Beijing.

The Chinese side is headed by Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army; and the US side, by Douglas Jay Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy.

The meetings come three weeks after Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, became the highest-ranking US officer to visit Beijing since 1997. Myers said the two sides were making "good progress'' in military relations.

Myers, while in Beijing, suggested joint search-and-rescue exercises, educational exchanges and additional visits by warships to ports in each country. A Chinese warship recently stopped in the US territory of Guam.

Military leaders to set forth position on Taiwan in talks with US: FM

During the ongoing sixth China-US defense consultations, the two sides will exchange views in depth on their military relations and Chinese military leaders will expound on China's stance on the Taiwan issue, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue Tuesday.

Zhang said at a regular press conference that the two-day sixthround of consultations on defense at the vice-defense ministerial level between China and the United States started here Tuesday morning.

She said the Chinese side is headed by Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and the US side by Douglas Jay Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy.

Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan, who is also vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and a state councilor, and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, will meet separately with Feith, the spokeswoman added.

The annual consultations between the defense departments of the two countries began in 1997. The previous consultations have been held in Washington and Beijing alternately. The fifth round was held in December 2002 in Washington.

Military relations soured following the collision of the US Navy EP-3E plane and the Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea in April 2001.

By People's Daily Online

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