Chinese army Gen. Xu Caihou, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, right, meets with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., Oct. 27, 2009, to discuss a range of security issues of mutual interest to both countries. Among those joining Xu in the Chinese delegation is Gen. Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the People's Liberation Army General Staff. (DoD photo by R. D. Ward/Released)