China Spurns Strategic Security Talks With U.S.

The Chinese are in no mood to respect U.S. wishes on defense negotiations.

From the Washington Times;

China's defense minister on Monday rebuffed an offer from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to hold strategic nuclear talks, saying military dialogue will be limited to counterpiracy, counterterrorism and peacekeeping cooperation.

Mr. Gates, the first defense secretary to visit China since 2005, told reporters in Beijing after a two-hour meeting with Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie that he is "pleased" China will "consider and study" his plan to launch a strategic-security dialogue on nuclear forces, missile defense, space and cyberwarfare issues.

But Gen. Liang largely dismissed the idea of holding substantive nuclear and security talks.

"There exists quite a number of forms of dialogue between China and the United States," he said, noting the strategic economic dialogue and other annual defense talks.

"The Chinese side noticed the proposal of Secretary Gates on the conducting of the strategic-security dialogue, and we are studying that," he said...

China is engaged in a large-scale buildup of its strategic nuclear forces, with as many as three new long-range nuclear missiles and an unknown number of nuclear weapons. It also is building missiles that can destroy satellites and maneuver warheads that can target aircraft carriers.

On the eve of Mr. Gates' visit, the Chinese also unveiled a new advanced stealth jet.

After the U.S. was fleeced by the Russians over the START 2 Treaty, why would the Chinese be inclined to take the U.S. seriously?

Weakness begats contempt.