15 January 2004	Thursday	22 Ziqa'ad 1424

BEIJING, Jan 14: China is firmly opposed to US weapons sales to its Taiwan, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on Wednesday moments before meeting America's top general.

China hailed the visit by Air Force General Richard Myers, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as a sign military ties are returning to normal nearly three years after the collision of a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter.

It also gave Gen Myers a tour of the headquarters of its space programme - the first time a foreign delegation has been taken to the mission control centre in Beijing.

But the foreign minister's comments highlighted the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue in Sino-US relations. China appreciated recent US comments against unilateral moves to alter the "status quo" across the Taiwan Straits, Mr Li said.

"But in the meantime, we firmly oppose any arms sales by the United States to Taiwan," he told reporters. The United States recognizes Beijing's "one China" policy, but remains Taiwan's biggest ally and arms supplier.

A US embassy spokesman confirmed the visit to the Beijing Space Centre, which was mission control for the launch in October of the country's first manned space flight.

"General Myers's visit is an important step in a series of US-China military activities, including high-level visits, confidence-building measures and professional exchanges," the US embassy in Beijing said in a statement.

Military ties went into a deep freeze after the April 2001 collision between a Chinese fighter jet and a US navy reconnaissance plane in international air space off China.

Chinese Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan broke the ice in a visit to the United States in October. Gen Myers met the chief of general staff of the People's Liberation Army, General Liang Guanglie, at the Defence Ministry .-Reuters