U.S. looks to China for support on Afghanistan

By Chris Buckley

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States is looking to stronger Chinese cooperation on Afghanistan, piracy, and other international troubles, a Pentagon official said on Saturday after talks that he said also addressed strains over Taiwan.

The U.S. official, David Sedney, said China's opposition to Washington's arms sales to the disputed island of Taiwan came up in the two days of discussions in Beijing, but did not overwhelm an agenda that also covered Central Asia, China's contribution to fighting piracy off the Somali coast, and nuclear weapons.

"The focus was not at all on obstacles. The focus was on how we can move forward," Sedney, a deputy assistant secretary of defence, told a news briefing after the talks.

"We both understand that it really is a new strategic environment that we're in here, with China playing the role that it does," he said.

The talks marked the first defence policy dialogue between the United States and China under the new Obama administration.

Sedney cast them as a promising start but avoided specifics.

Asked if the two sides discussed North Korea and its possible launch of a missile, he said that the two sides had talked about security in northeast Asia.

President Barack Obama has said he will increase forces in Afghanistan by 17,000 in a bid to quell worsening insurgent violence. Sedney said Washington would welcome Chinese help there and in neighbouring Pakistan.