Gates in China to bolster uneasy military ties

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates launched a series of meetings with top Chinese generals Monday in a bid to shore up rocky military ties with Beijing, amid US concern over China's advanced weaponry.The trip to China by Gates, his first since 2007, comes just days ahead of a crucial visit to Washington by Chinese President Hu Jintao, and both sides are keen to show some progress in defence ties.The Pentagon chief sat down early Monday with China's defence minister, General Liang Guanglie, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Saturday chided China for suspending military ties over US arms sales to Taiwan, saying Beijing's stance "makes little sense".Renewing his call for stronger relations between the Chinese and US militaries, Gates said such a dialogue should not be "held hostage" over the weapons sales.The sales have been going on for decades and Washington has made clear that it does not support independence for Taiwan, Gates said in a speech at a security conference in Singapore.

China and the United States on Monday clashed over US arms sales to Taiwan as top defence officials struggled to shore up fragile military relations.China pinpointed the weapons sales to Taiwan as the main hurdle to improving military ties with the United States, while US Defence Secretary Robert Gates voiced frustration at Beijing's stance.The difference of opinion emerged after Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie held talks with Gates in Hanoi, the first such meeting between the two nation's defence chiefs in almost a year.

The United States is not looking to "hold China down" but wants to forge a stronger dialogue with Beijing's expanding military, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.Speaking to reporters aboard his plane en route to Singapore, Gates said he was encouraged by recent signs of progress in security ties with China even amid a military buildup."We are not trying to hold China down. China has been a great power for thousands of years. It is a global power and will be a global power," said Gates.

PYONGYANG, North Korea – Google’s chairman wants a first-hand look at North Korea’s economy and social media during his private visit Monday to the communist nation, his delegation said, despite misgivings in Washington over the timing of the trip.

The United States is not looking to "hold China down" but wants to forge a stronger dialogue with Beijing's expanding military, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.Speaking to reporters aboard his plane en route to Singapore, Gates said he was encouraged by recent signs of progress in security ties with China even amid a military buildup."We are not trying to hold China down. China has been a great power for thousands of years. It is a global power and will be a global power," he said.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday toured China's nuclear command centre to end what he called a "very successful" visit -- one upstaged by a bold display of Beijing's advanced weaponry.Gates got a rare look at the Second Artillery Corps headquarters outside Beijing, which oversees nuclear and missile forces -- a stop meant to underscore China's readiness to recast uneasy military ties.The Pentagon chief said he had "very candid conversations" during his tour of the facility in Qinghe and spoke to Chinese officers about nuclear strategy.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has voiced concern over China's latest hi-tech weaponry and called for an improvement in uneasy military relations with Beijing to help defuse tensions.Speaking to reporters en route to Beijing for three days of talks, Gates said the Chinese appeared to have made more progress in building their first stealth fighter jet than previously thought, and that an anti-ship missile posed a potential threat to the US military.