A Sino-US agreement to 'detarget' nuclear missiles from each other's soil could emerge as a last-minute centrepiece of President Bill Clinton's visit to the mainland, which starts next week.
A group of senior US officials, led by National Security Council aide Sandra Kristoff, was trying to hammer out a detargeting agreement in Beijing, the White House said.
Although such a deal would have little practical use, it could provide a public relations rescue to the upcoming summit.
Since political pressure caused Washington to drop the idea of lifting some 1989 sanctions in return for greater curbs on China's missile sales, both sides have been scrambling for substantive measures to announce when the two presidents meet.
While confirming negotiations on the detargeting issue, White House spokesman Mike McCurry refused to discuss its prospects.
'That is something that lends stability to the concept of deterrence and, in that respect, is something that enhances the security of both sides,' he said.