Qa'dah 02, 1431, Oct 10, SPA -- Defense ministers from across Asia and as far away as the United States began arriving in Vietnam's capital Sunday for a regional security meeting, starting its two-day deliberations on Monday. The meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations will also bring together U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chinese Gen. Liang Guanglie for military talks _ the first between the countries in eight months, the Associated Press reported. Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa also planned a meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Hanoi, according to Kyodo News agency. The defense meeting brings together the ASEAN countries _ Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam _ along with counterparts from Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.
