US and China in missile talks

Senior officials from the United States and China are due to meet in Washington on Friday in new talks to ease a row over China's alleged missile co-operation with Pakistan.

China's Vice Foreign Minister, Wang Guangya, and the US Under-secretary of State for arms control, John Bolton, will try to make progress in the dispute.

In September, the United States imposed sanctions on a Chinese state-owned firm which it accused of transferrring nuclear-capable missile technology to Pakistan; charges which China has denied.

Pakistan has also said it received no missile components.

The sanctions include a ban on the export of American communications satellites to China.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service