China Defense Minister agrees to U.S. - China Defense Committee

by UNCENSORED NEWS | January 10, 2011 at 03:35 am

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In Beijing this morning top defense chiefs have agreed to set up a committee to handle regular talks between the U.S. and China on military policies.. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie devised this new system after talks on Monday begin to heal broken ties between the two military establishments. This past year China severed ties with U.S. defense over arms sales in Taiwan and the Yellow Seas maneuvers. Politicians are hopeful that this new agreement will bring the two countries closer.

The US and Chinese defense chiefs took a step Monday toward mending frayed relations between their powerful militaries, though China warned ties could be cut again if Washington does not heed Beijing's wishes. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, after a morning of talks, agreed to set up a working group to explore a more formal, regular dialogue on strategic issues. The agreement, along with Gates' visit, marks the symbolic end to a rocky year in which Beijing cut off defense ties with the United States over arms sales to Taiwan, the democratic island China claims, and objected to US naval maneuvers in the Yellow Sea. Gates also extended an invitation to the chief of the People's Liberation Army's general staff to visit Washington in the first half of this year.