SENIOR Chinese and United States diplomats held “candid and productive” talks in Beijing and agreed to keep open lines of communication to avoid tensions from spiralling into conflict, officials said today.
Assistant US Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu “had candid, constructive and fruitful communication on promoting the improvement of China-US relations and properly managing differences.”
Beijing said that it had stated its “solemn position on Taiwan” and other issues and that the two sides had agreed to maintain communication.
JENNY CLEGG looks at the key points that defined the China-US relationship, for now
The cancelled China trip of the German Foreign Minister marks a break with Helmut Schmidt’s China policy and drives Germany further into Washington’s confrontation course, warns SEVIM DAGDELEN
From 35,000 troops in Talisman Sabre war games to HMS Spey provocations in the Taiwan Strait, Labour continues Tory militarisation — all while claiming to uphold ‘one China’ diplomatic agreements from 1972, reports KENNY COYLE


