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China, US resume military contacts today

WASHINGTON: A top Chinese army general will begin a three-day visit to Washington on Monday, resuming military contacts between the two countries that were suspended after U.S. jets bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in May.

Lt. Gen. Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of the People's Liberation Army General Staff, will meet Defence Secretary William Cohen and other Pentagon officials in talks on further high-level exchanges in the coming year. He will also meet members of Congress and China experts.

In addition to very touchy issues, such as U.S. military sales to Taiwan and arms transfers by Beijing to other countries, the two sides are expected to discuss a possible warming visit to China by Cohen this year.

Cohen last visited China in January of 1998, but military ties between the two countries have grown increasingly chilly over a number of issues. U.S. officials are expressing optimism about the talks, chiefly between Xiong and U.S. Undersecretary of Defence for Policy Walter Solcombe.

CHINA SUSPENDED TIES LAST YEAR

The renewed military ties were suspended by Beijing after what NATO insisted was the accidental May 7 bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during its air war with Serbia.

"This is part of an effort, obviously, to rebuild our relationship after the mistaken attack," Defence Department spokesman Ken Bacon told reporters. "It is an effort to rebuild contacts and discussions between the U.S. and the Chinese militaries."

The talks are expected to be frank and tough.

They come as U.S.-China tensions continue over Taiwan, allegations of Chinese nuclear spying in the United States, arms transfers by China and charges of human rights violations in China.

"Discussions will cover a wide range of areas. We will compare our strategic assessments of the 21st century," Bacon said. "We will talk about the geopolitical conditions in the Asia-Pacific, about military modernisation programmes in the two countries, what sort of military relationship we should have during the year 2000."

CONSTANT IRRITANT - TAIWAN

Despite U.S. recognition of Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China, the island of Taiwan has been a constant irritant on China-U.S. ties for years.

U.S. officials on Friday declined to confirm or deny a Washington Times report that Taiwan had asked to buy four sophisticated U.S. Aegis destroyers. Such ships are equipped with the latest high-tech equipment for defence against large numbers of attack aircraft and cruise missiles.

The ships can also be equipped with weapons for use against attacking strategic missiles, although the Times said such a sale was unlikely to include that defence capability.

While the officials refused to confirm that Taiwan had even asked for the ships in December as part of its annual request for U.S. military equipment, they flatly denied that the Pentagon had recommended such a ship sale.

Beijing this month said it was seriously concerned over reports that President Bill Clinton planned large arms sales to Taiwan this year ahead of the November U.S. presidential elections.-Reuters