CHINA: US urges greater transparency on arms build-up
Updated
High-level talks are underway between China and the United States, which is supporting Beijing's strenuous opposition to plans in Taiwan for a referendum on joining the United Nations. The US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is in south-west China for two days of discussions, in which Taiwan is high on the agenda. Speaking ahead of the talks, Mr Negroponte said Taiwan's plans to hold a referendum on UN membership in March were "provocative". But while the US has thrown its weight behind Beijing on Taiwan, Washington remains jittery over China's continued military build-up. Earlier this week the top commander of the United States Pacific Fleet urged Beijing to be more transparent about how it might use its increasingly-sophisticated armed forces.
Presenter: Adam Connors
Speakers: Chen Bingde, General of the China's People's Liberation Army; Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet
