Robert Gates in China, Beijing tries to find out US fears

In Beijing after talks with US counterpart Robert Gates, Chinese Defense minister has required playing down the country's military expansions. He emphasized China posed no risk and was years following nations with more highly developed technology.

Mr. Gates is on for four day visit to China to ease pressure before Chinese President Hu Jintao visits the US next week.

China has long been annoyed over US arms sales to Taiwan and US deals with Japan and South Korea.

After their meeting Mr Liang Guanglie and Mr Gates both told to the reporters that they have agreed that our military co-operation should be strengthen and should not be influenced by politics.

Mr Liang said China has great worried over US contracts in Taiwan, before seeking to restore confidence the US about China's military intentions.

Commenting to the reporters, he said, “To enhance the research and development of weapons is not any way targeting to any third country”.

At the time of landing in Beijing of Mr Gates, websites published pictures obviously showing a working archetype of a Chinese stealth aircraft, unseen to radar.

China has not officially commented on the pictures, but they have once more set the attention on China's military modernization.

The “Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor” is only US world’s operational stealth fighter.

In the collective of talks, Mr Gates said that the Chinese "visibly have potential to put some of our competencies at danger".

"We have to pay concentration to them; we have to react properly with our own programs."

The US has been focusing directly as China enhances its military capabilities, especially its advancement of a supposed "carrier killer" missile, a land-based system which have the ability to sink a jet carrier from up to 2,900 K.M away.

US battle groups including aircraft carriers are positioned in the South China Sea.

China had been increasing its nuclear arsenal and sea marine force, as well as improving its land-

based missiles, according to the August’s reports of the Pentagon.

The Pentagon had reported in August, that China had been increasing its nuclear arsenal and submarine force, as well as improving its land-based missiles.

Japan last month identified China as its main military threat, quoting Beijing's amplifying forcefulness in the East and South China Seas.

On the growing of the economy China's official military budget quadrupled between 1999 and 2009. Last year China declared a smaller than normal to 7.5% increase to US$ 76.3bn.

Till now the US defense budget is the biggest in the world at about $700bn, followed by China’s 2^nd largest defense budget, which might be increased this year.