China gives no explanation for turning down US Defense Secretary Gates’ visit

China gives no word on refusing Gates’ visit

BEIJING — China gave no explanation Thursday for why it refused to allow U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to visit this week.

Gates left Wednesday to visit countries in Asia and Europe, but aides said China explained this was not a convenient time. Gates had hoped to make improved military ties with Beijing the centerpiece of his trip to Asia.

China was angered earlier this year by the Obama administration’s decision to go ahead with arms sales to Chinese rival Taiwan worth more than $6 billion.

A spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry told a press briefing Thursday that “we attach importance to military exchanges” but there were no specific arrangements yet.

China’s defense ministry has not commented.

Gates will spend the weekend meeting with defense officials from every other major Asian power during a security conference in Singapore.

Contacts between the American and Chinese militaries have been sporadic and full of suspicion for more than a decade. While both sides made tentative steps to improve the atmosphere last year, the decision to sell arms to Taiwan in February led Beijing to suspend military exchanges.

During U.S.-China discussions last week in Beijing, a Chinese admiral’s comments harshly criticizing the U.S. struck one of the few discordant notes in what participants said were generally positive talks.

A meeting between Admiral Robert Willard, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, and People’s Liberation Army deputy chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, was the first high-level communication since military exchanges were suspended.

Military ties are not the only sources of bilateral friction. Trade issues have also caused tension with both sides accusing the other of protectionism for certain products.

China’s commerce ministry said it opposes a decision Tuesday by the United States to set duties on some steel gratings imported from China. The U.S. set anti-dumping duties at 136.76 to 145.18 percent and countervailing duties at 62.46 percent.

A China statement Wednesday said the U.S. was acting “discriminatorily.”