China and US discuss cooperation amid tensions

Beijing: US Defence Secretary James Mattis met his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, aiming to find areas of cooperation despite a mounting military rivalry between the two superpowers.

On his first ever visit to China, the Pentagon chief was greeted at the headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army by an honour guard and marching band playing the US and Chinese anthems.

In opening remarks, Defence Minister Wei Fenghe called the visit critical “to increase the strategic trust between our countries”.

He said Mattis’ words “carry weight in the military and political circles back in the United States”.

Mattis replied that military ties were crucial to the broader relationship between the two countries and he hoped the talks would involve “open and honest dialogue”.

Mattis is expected to meet President Xi Jinping after talks with other senior officials. His fourday Asia trip will include visits to regional allies Seoul and Tokyo.

His first meeting with Wei comes amid festering tensions over China’s placement of advanced weapons systems on builtup islets in the South China Sea, a projection of force that has challenged decades of the US Navy’s preeminent presence in the strategically important region.

That, along with rising Chinese pressure on US ally Taiwan and deepening trade and technology disputes, have elevated the strains between Washington and Beijing to new levels.