(Continued from page 26)

• ___

• BEIJING (AP) -- A senior U.S. diplomat arrived in China on a hurried mission Sunday as new problems -- from possible U.S. arms sales to Taiwan to the custody of a blind dissident -- threaten to complicate relations with Beijing ahead of high-level talks.
• Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell avoided reporters, and the U.S. Embassy declined to

discuss his agenda. His trip, originally scheduled for later this coming week, comes after the White House said it is considering selling new warplanes to Taiwan and after dissident legal activist Chen Guangcheng fled house arrest and ended up, rights campaigners said, in the protection of American officials.
• Both Chen's case, if he's in U.S. custody, and that of Taiwan touch on Beijing red lines against what it sees as meddling in China's domestic affairs. Beijing will have ample opportunity to voice its displeasure at an annual confab on Thursday and Friday attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and dozens of other officials.
• The meeting, known as the strategic and economic dialogue, is supposed to provide ballast for the often-bumpy relations by giving top-level officials a chance to discuss problems and look for solutions. This year, while frictions over China's trade surplus and currency policies persist, Washington is seeking Beijing's help on global

(Continued on page 28)