US to renew military ties with a rising China
As America's top defense official visits China next week, its growing military capabilities are redrawing the security landscape in Asia, putting the country with the largest standing army on a potential collision course with the United States.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who arrives late Sunday for a five-day visit, will formally restore military-to-military exchanges, cut off a year ago by Beijing over US arms sales to Taiwan. His visit marks the first to China by a serving defense secretary since William Cohen's in 2000. (AP)
