General's chilly reception reflects changing Sino-US ties

WHEN GENERAL Xiong Guangkai, a veteran negotiator with the US, visited Washington last week, the reception was decidedly chillier than the welcomes he had previously received.

The general, who is the People's Liberation Army's deputy chief of the general staff, was given the cold shoulder by Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and left to hold talks with an undersecretary on Tuesday. Just two years ago on his last visit, General Xiong was granted a meeting with Mr Rumsfeld's predecessor, William Cohen.

Much has changed since then - China's leadership is in transition and a Republican administration is seeking to rewrite the rules of engagement with Beijing.

More details of the type of relationship Washington is seeking emerged this week with an important but little-noticed speech by an influential State Department official.

Richard Haass, policy planning director at the State Department, said: 'Talk - or so-called 'engagement' for its own sake - is not enough.' That was an apparent swipe at the Democrats' approach towards the 'Middle Kingdom'.

He made it clear that a deepening of relations was conditional on a number of factors, including: China further restraining its weapons proliferation actitivies; applying pressure to ensure North Korea abides by its international commitments; exercising restraint over Taiwan; and pursuing a less dogmatic foreign policy.