BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao met with visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates Tuesday morning, two years after his meeting with former Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in October 2005.

Gates is the highest ranking U.S. military official to visit China since Rumsfeld's visit. This is also Gates' first visit to China since he was appointed Secretary of Defense in December 2006.

Prior to Hu's meeting, Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan and Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo have had talks with Gates on Monday, in which the two sides exchanged views on broad issues including the Taiwan issue.

Gates reiterated the U.S. adherence to the one-China policy and the three U.S.-China joint communiquｅs during the talks.

China and the United States also agreed to open a direct telephone line between the defense ministries of the two countries, which is the first of its kind that China has ever established with another country at the defense ministry level.

As guest of Cao, Gates will conclude his three-day official China visit on Wednesday.