Officials and scholars from China and the United States held an in-depth academic discussion on international and Asia-Pacific region security issues during a recent international seminar held in Beijing. 

The International Seminar on China-US Security Issues was organized by the China International Strategic Studies Fund and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The US delegation included former Defense Secretary William Perry; former Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Command and former US Ambassador to China Joseph Preuher; Dennis Blair, also once commander-in-chief of the US Pacific Command; and Charles Freeman, assistant secretary of defense during the Nixon administration.

During the seminar, Minister in Charge of the Central Foreign Affairs Office Liu Huaqiu, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, and Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army, met with the US delegation.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2004)