National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Sean O'Keefe held a "courtesy meeting" with China National Space Administration (CNSA) chief Sun Laiyan in Washington, NASA spokeswoman Debra Rahn said.

The meeting, which had been planned for months, was sought by the Chinese side to initiate discussions with NASA on "areas of mutual interest," she told

"But it needs to be clear that NASA is constrained in its ability to discuss new civil space cooperation until China addresses US proliferation concerns," Rahn said.

O'Keefe had said last month it was premature to speculate whether the Chinese would become a partner in any of NASA's space exploration goals.

The talks would be "an opportunity to exchange views - an opportunity to exchange thoughts" and "not a remarkable or unusual event," he said after Chinese representatives joined a NASA workshop in Washington on international partnership and space exploration in mid November.

China's participation at the conference, approved by the State Department, was precedent-setting.

China's human rights record and concerns over proliferation of dangerous weapons and technology have limited NASA's offers of cooperation.

China launched its first astronaut, or "taikonaut," into space on October 15, 2003. The nation started a space program in 1970.

But it has been excluded from US-led partnership in the International Space Station. The team comprises Canada, Japan, Russia, 11 nations of the European Space Agency and Brazil.

President Bush has stressed increased international cooperation as key to his proposed space exploration plan unveiled in January.

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