US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly headed to the foreign ministry in Beijing at around 9:00 am (0100 GMT) with the message that the National Missile Defence (NMD) plan was not aimed at China.

In a statement to reporters before the talks, Kelly said China and the United States shared the same security goal.

"China clearly shares with us an interest in promoting peace and stability in East Asia and the world," he said.

"Curbing the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction is a key element in the maintenance of peace and security."

Kelly declined to answer questions or to say whether he would be discussing the US spy plane still stranded on the southern Chinese island of Hainan following its April 1 collision with a Chinese fighter jet.

The row over the incident has strained Sino-US relations, and China is still refusing to allow the 80-million-dollar plane to fly out of the country.

US President George W. Bush has dispatched three delegations to capitals around the world to explain and counter criticism of NMD, which the United States says is to prevent attacks by rogue states such as North Korea or Iraq.

However China fears the missile shield will neutralise the capability of its own missiles, in particular those targetting Taiwan, as well as its second-strike nuclear capability.

Analysts have predicted Tuesday's talks were not likely to bring the two sides any closer on the contentious issue, just one of a host of problems weighing down ties between China and the Bush administration.

Speaking in Singapore Monday before leaving for Beijing, Kelly insisted the teams of officials touring the world to explain US thinking on NMD wanted "real consultation" and were prepared to listen to opposing views.

He said the US administration did not have a finished plan for NMD, which is seen as violating the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty and is also strongly opposed by Russia.

Kelly also suggested China may believe in a "much grander" US missile shield than is currently being considered by the Bush administration, and that he would try to allay Beijing's fears.

In particular China is worried that NMD could be adapted into a Theatre Missile Defence (TMD) to protect its allies in East Asia, including Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan a rebel province that must be brought back under its rule, and US intelligence says it has more than 300 missiles targetting the island and is adding 50 new missiles each year.

Partly in response to the missile build-up, and fuelling suspicion of US intentions over NMD, the United States in April agreed to sell Taiwan a sophisticated package of new weapons.

Analysts say that if Bush goes ahead with NMD, China is likely to speed up its missile programme.

China has yet to make any comment on Kelly's visit or to reveal who will be meeting with the US envoy.

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