Beijing - The US confirmed yesterday that a Chinese military officer has defected while visiting the country as part of a military delegation last year, Miriam Donohoe reports. The colonel in the People's Liberation Army has been sought by China since he went missing.
A US spokesman confirmed yesterday that the Chinese government asked in December for assistance in locating the officer who disappeared in New York.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman in China confirmed a newspaper report yesterday that a colonel had defected to the US and said an investigation was under way.
China's confirmation that it is investigating the officer's disappearance comes during a visit to Washington by the Chinese Vice Premier, Mr Qian Qichen, who has met President Bush and the Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell.
Mr Qian later warned the US not to add fuel to the "flames" of the Taiwan conflict by selling hi-tech arms to the nationalist island. He used a speech to the US-China Business Council on the final day of his visit to Washington to publicly repudiate US criticisms of China on Taiwan, human rights and religious toleration.