Inside the Ring

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By Bill Gertz INSIDE THE RING

Pentagon-China talks

The Pentagon is quietly set to resume formal defense talks with the Chinese military that were cut off in October over Beijing's anger at U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

However, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has told China he won't go to Beijing until a senior Chinese defense official first visits Washington. Mr. Gates told Chinese Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian in Singapore earlier this month, when an agreement was reached on holding the next round of Defense Consultative Talks, that he would not accept the invitation to visit Beijing until after China sends its defense minister or an equivalent official to Washington.

"The secretary said he would be glad to return to Beijing once his counterpart or equivalent there were to make a trip to Washington, where there is a standing invitation for him to come," said Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell.

It is one of the few times that the Pentagon has imposed conditions for a U.S. military exchange with China. In most cases, China's military makes demands for visits.

Mr. Morrell said the issue for the secretary is reciprocity.

Mr. Gates last visited China in 2007 and met with Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan, who has not visited the United States since 2003.

The Defense Consultative Talks, which began in 1997, will be held in Beijing from June 23 to 24 and led by Michele A. Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy. Also expected to be part of the delegation is the Obama administration's new deputy assistant defense secretary in charge of China policy, Michael Schiffer, a program officer at the nonprofit Stanley Foundation.

Mr. Morrell said the next round of talks will seek to "re-engage" on a range of topics after the hiatus. He did not specify what was on the agenda.

The last talks took place in December 2007 in Beijing.