China and North Korea

Zhou Yongkang, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), concluded a goodwill visit to North Korea on October 11.

During his three-day trip, Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, observed a grand military parade celebrating the 65th birthday of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang.

The WPK is "very satisfied" with the healthy development of the relations between China and North Korea, North Korea's top leader Kim Jong Il told Zhou at a meeting.

Zhou's visit came shortly after a landmark WPK conference on September 28. At the conference, Kim, who has served as general secretary of the WPK since 1997, was re-elected.

Kim Jong Un, a son of Kim Jong Il, was appointed as vice chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission, headed by Kim the senior.

China and U.S.

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie held talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the sidelines of the first ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) on bilateral military ties in Hanoi on October 11.

Military relations constitute an important part of bilateral ties, Liang said. The two countries are facing some obstacles in developing military relations, with the U.S. arm sales to Taiwan being the main reason.

This meeting was the first between the two defense chiefs after bilateral military ties soured in January, following the Pentagon's decision to sell nearly $6.4 billion worth of arms to Taiwan.

It is important for the two countries to respect each other's core interests and major concerns and properly settle differences and sensitive issues to ensure the stable development of bilateral military ties, Liang said.

China is willing to make full use of international forums like the ADMM-Plus to strengthen cooperation with the United States on non-traditional security issues such as antiterrorism and humanitarian relief, he added.