U.S. and Chinese commanders meet

American and Chinese defense chiefs met for the first time in a year yesterday in Hanoi, Vietnam, as they sought to overcome a period of unusual strain between the two militaries.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates conferred privately with Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie for half an hour on the eve of a regional defense conference in the Vietnamese capital.

Gates said afterward that he had told Liang that "when there are disagreements, it's all the more important to talk with each other, not less," according to the Pentagon's website.

Gates also said he accepted a formal invitation from Liang to visit Beijing for more talks with senior Chinese military officials. The visit is expected early next year.

The Chinese military broke off contacts in January after the Pentagon announced plans to sell more than $6 billion worth of arms to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.