Michael Schiffer, US deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, began a two-day visit Monday to Beijing to hold discussions with Chinese military officials "about re-starting the military-to-military relationship," Colonel Dave Lapan told AFP.

Military ties between the two countries have been repeatedly stalled, with Beijing calling off scheduled visits or exchanges as a way of protesting Washington's policies, particularly US arms sales to Taiwan.

China cut off the dialogue in January after the US administration unveiled plans to sell 6.4 billion dollars in weapons and military hardware to Taiwan.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has criticized China for suspending ties over the US approach to Taiwan, saying a permanent dialogue was too important to be "held hostage" to Washington's weapons sales to Taiwan.

The sales have been going on for decades and Washington has made clear that it does not support independence for Taiwan, Gates said in a speech in June in Singapore.

Gates had planned to travel to Beijing as part of an Asian tour in June but China rebuffed the Pentagon chief and called off the visit.

Since then, US officials say China has reopened the door to a possible Gates visit later this year.

"A Gates visit may be discussed but that's not the intent of these meetings," Lapan said.

Gates and other US officials maintain that stronger military relations would lower tensions and prevent possible misunderstandings, similar to the US-Soviet dialogue during the Cold War.

In recent weeks, China's increasingly assertive stance in Asia has prompted the United States to rally behind countries in the region embroiled in disputes with Beijing.

The United States also has defied Chinese warnings and carried out joint war games with South Korea, after accusing Beijing's ally North Korea of sinking a South Korean vessel.

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