US, China hold maritime security talks in Hawaii

The U.S. and Chinese militaries finished two days of talks on security on the high seas Friday, the first such discussions since China broke off contact earlier this year to protest the U.S. sale of arms to Taiwan.

The resumption of military contacts after an eight-month freeze adds to what appears to be a warming of delicate U.S.-China relations. They came just days after China invited Defense Secretary Robert Gates to visit Beijing.

The U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement the Honolulu meeting was aimed at increasing the safety of airmen and sailors and was an important part of a "sustained, reliable and meaningful military-to-military relationship."

There was no immediate comment from China on the talks. Calls to the defense ministry press office in Beijing rang unanswered.

The United States has long expressed concern about mishaps when the two militaries operate near each other, such as in Asian waters.

"This week's discussions were designed to increase safety of our sailors and airmen operating in proximity," said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Randolph Alles, who led the U.S. delegation. "It was a professional and frank exchange."

Rear Adm. Liao Shining of the People's Liberation Army Navy led the Chinese side.

The Pacific Command said both sides will report their findings to Defense Consultative Talks scheduled to be held in Washington Dec. 9-10.

China suspended military relations with the U.S. in January after objecting to a $6.4 billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own territory.

China signaled relations might be repaired when Maj. Gen. Qian Lihua told visiting U.S. Assistant Deputy Defense Secretary Michael Schiffer that regular dialogue and exchanges on military safety at sea and other issues would be resumed.

High-level contact came earlier this week when Gates met Chinese Gen. Liang Guanglie at an Asian security meeting in Vietnam, where Gates accepted an invitation to visit Beijing. The Pentagon says Gates will likely go to the Chinese capital early next year.

Regional tensions and heated rhetoric have underscored the importance of regular contacts between the two militaries, much to the frustration of U.S. officers who complain of the lack of access to their Chinese counterparts.

China has been especially strident about U.S. involvement in territorial disputes in the South China Sea - which Beijing claims in its entirety - along with joint U.S.-South Korean anti-submarine drills in the Yellow Sea, part of which lies within Chinese sovereign waters.

The U.S. has been a strong advocate of regular military exchanges to help the two powers avoid misunderstandings and any miscalculation.