Top US senator in China missile talks

Mr Biden says it is vital to improve relations with China

The most senior United States senator dealing with international relations, Joseph Biden, is due to meet Chinese President Jiang Zemin at a seaside resort east of Beijing.

They will talk about China's human rights record, missile defence and other trade issues.

Where we come from, a deal is a deal is a deal

Senator Biden

Earlier this month Senator Biden warned that the US Senate may block President George Bush's missile defence if it failed to win international support.

Mr Biden said on Tuesday that he would also ask President Jiang about new allegations that China has sold missile technology to Pakistan despite promising last year not to do so.

"Where we come from, a deal is a deal is a deal," Mr Biden told reporters. "We want to know that China is willing to abide by whatever agreements that they make, not only to the letter of the law but in the spirit of the agreement."

China has denied the allegations, made in the Washington Times newspaper this week.

Trade talks

Mr Biden, a Democratic senator for the state of Delaware, is on his first overseas trip as chairman of the influential Foreign Relations Committee. With him are fellow Democrat Paul Sarbanes of Maryland and Republicans Fred Thompson of Tennessee and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Also at the meeting with President Jiang, at the resort of resort of Beidahe, will be Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and Defence Minister Chi Haotian.

The senators have warned that missile sales might force the US to reconsider other agreements, such as its support for Beijing to join the World Trade Organisation. But Mr Biden said he was hopeful it would not come to that.

"China is not our enemy," he said. "There's nothing inevitable about China and the United States not being as cooperative as other nations."

The senators have also visited Taiwan and on Saturday fly to Seoul to meet South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.