FINANCIAL TIMES: Robert Gates, the US defence secretary, will visit China for the first time in more than three years next month as Washington steps up its effort to re-engage the Chinese military amid rising regional tensions over North Korea.
Military officials said Mr Gates would also seek to reassure China that the US’s own actions on North Korea – including sending an aircraft carrier to the Yellow Sea and an invitation to Japan to participate in joint exercises with South Korea – are not aimed at Beijing.
Barack Obama, the US president, phoned Hu Jintao, his Chinese counterpart, this week in the latest US effort to persuade Beijing to take a tougher line with North Korea. … (more)
