BEIJING —

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A top U.S. defense authoritative praised China’s contribution to anti-piracy efforts on the farther espouse a cause the coast of Somalia on Saturday, following two days of talks in Beijing that marked a resumption of military consultations on the model of a half-year suspension.

The go to see by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense David Sedney added to signs of an optimistic start to ties between Beijing and President Barack Obama’s administration. A visit the week judgment by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was also praised for setting an overwhelmingly positive tone for relations.

China had hanging most military contacts last October over Washington’s agreement to sell $6.5 billion in advanced weaponry to Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as a breakaway province. And while China continues to complain about such sales, Sedney told reporters that one as well as the other sides were dedicated to improving relations.

“The focus was not at quite on obstacles. The focus was on how we can move forward, in what plight we can make progress, and how we can try to make concerted efforts … to achieve ordinary goals,” Sedney said at a briefing at the American Embassy before his departure notwithstanding South Korea.

Sedney had special praise for China’s contribution to the anti-piracy flotilla patrolling the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast. Chinese sent couple destroyers and a supply ship to the region in December, and on Thursday state media said its sailors had rescued an Italian merchant ship from pirates.

“The work they’ve done has been highly professional, it’s been exceedingly effective, and it’s been very well coordinated with the United States and the other navies that are working in that place,” Sedney reported.

The sides also reaffirmed the six-nation process of urging North Korea to abandon its nuclear programs and discussed feasible Chinese contributions to nonmilitary programs in Afghanistan, he aforesaid. The U.S. is preparing to send 17,000 more soldiers and Marines to join the 38,000 fighting a strengthening insurgency. Afghanistan lies on China’s western edge.

Sedney said he held 13 hours of talks on Friday with a delegation led by Maj. Gen. Qian Lihua, the Chinese Defense Ministry’s head of foreign property. That was followed by a shorter meeting Saturday morning with Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the General Staff for the People’s Liberation Army.

China’s functionary Xinhua News Agency aforesaid Friday’session talks in like manner covered two-sided maritime carelessness, as well as between nations and regional security.

It also quoted Qian as saying that contacts would remain minute unless the U.S. removes remaining obstacles to improvement.

“China-U.S. body of soldiers relations still stay at a difficult period. We expect the U.S. side to take concrete measures for the resumption and growth of our military ties,” it quoted Qian as expression.

Original text: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008791617_apaschinaus.html?syndication=rss