China-US military talks focus on DPRK

China has taken a tougher stance over the DPRK and supported the UN sanctions. But to what extent and what measures it's ready to take to curb Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions is still being talked about.

Michele Flournoy, US Defense Undersecretary, said, "They talked  about building a more cooperative, comprehensive relations."

China is host to the six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. It's also the main source of economic assistance to Pyongyang. China's unique influence in the region has given it more weight in the Sino-US defense consultation mechanism.

China suspended the military talks in protest over US arms sales to Taiwan in last October. And the vessel stand-offs at sea have posed a real test. The Obama administration has sent signals of re-establishing links.

In April, the US Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead, headed the US delegation at China's naval parade.

The two sides stressed the importance of forging positive relations.

Closer consultation hasn't eliminated all problems. The US continues to demand the PLA be more transparent about its spending and strategic goals. Beijing has repeated its strong dissatisfaction over US arms sales to Taiwan. And as for any specific agreement on the DPRK issue, the details are yet to be released.