March 4, 2007

Weapons to Taiwan, Diplomats to China

US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte met with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing Sunday, a day after China voiced opposition over US weapons sales to Taiwan.

US plans announced last week to sell Taiwan 450 air and ground missiles appeared to top the agenda of Negroponte's talks that began Saturday with separate meetings with Deputy Foreign Ministers Dai Bingguo and Yang Jiechi.

Qin added that the nuclear issues surrounding Iran and North Korea would be discussed in Negroponte's meeting with Li and other senior officials on Sunday.

The planned weapons purchase by democratic Taiwan has upset the leaders of China's Communist Party, which views the island as a renegade province to be reunited with the motherland.

Ties had already cooled somewhat after US Vice President Dick Cheney's comments, on a trip to Australia, that China's military growth and recent test of a satellite-killer missile did not chime with its stated peaceful aims.

Qin said Dai told Negroponte that China was not to be feared.

Negroponte's visit Beijing is the second leg of a trip that has already taken him to Japan and will include a stop next week in South Korea.

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