Foreign and Military Affairs

Defense chief holds talks with US counterpart

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-11 17:49
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Defense chief holds talks with US counterpart
Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (R) shakes hands with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Hanoi, October 11, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

HANOI - Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie held talks with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates here on Monday on the sidelines of the 1st ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) on bilateral military ties.

Liang said Sino-US relations have maintained momentum of stable development in recent years as China and the United States have agreed to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship for the 21st century. China-US relations are of increasing global influence, he added.

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Liang said military relations constitute an important part of bilateral ties. Currently, the two countries are facing some obstacles in developing military relations, with the US arm sales to China's Taiwan being the main reason.

Monday's meeting was the first one between the defense chiefs of the two countries after bilateral military ties were damaged in January following the Pentagon's decision to sell a nearly 6.4-billion-US-dollar arms package to Taiwan, an inalienable part of China.

Liang said it is important for the two countries to respect and care for each other's core interests and major concerns, continuously consolidate strategic mutual trust, decrease suspicion and misjudgment, and properly settle differences and sensitive issues in order to keep bilateral military ties develop in a continuous and stable way.

Liang said China has been positive and sincere in developing military ties with the United States. China expects the two sides to make joint efforts to gradually settle problems in bilateral military ties and orient the ties towards healthy and stable development.

Liang said China welcomes and supports holding the ADMM-Plus and is willing to make full use of international forums like the ADMM-Plus to strengthen cooperation with the US side on dealing with non-tradition security issues like anti-terrorism and humanitarian relief so as to make constructive contribution to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.