Taiwanese lawmakers and retired generals met secretly with Chinese army officers in Beijing last month, it has been revealed.

Soldiers from the traditional rivals discussed defence matters when they met each other for the first time in recent years, according to Chou Chih-cheng, head of the Asian-Pacific Security Studies Foundation, who helped to arrange the gathering.

It was a good opportunity to open the door, to sit down and have some tea and just chat

Meeting organiser Chou Chih-cheng

Mr Chou, a retired lieutenant-general and former legislator, said there could be more talks.

News of the meeting came as Taipei reacted to a US report that China's military was modernising to be able to seize by force the island it considers a renegade province.

Taiwan's Vice-President Annette Lu told the top US diplomat in Taipei that the government would have to rethink its strategy towards Beijing if "credible options" for invasion were being developed, as the US Defence Department believed.

Mr Chou said that at the meeting in Beijing the two sides discussed military issues and "steered clear of politics".

"It was a good opportunity to open the door, to sit down and have some tea and just chat," he said.

Ice-breaker

The Chinese side was represented by senior officers from the National Defence University of the People's Liberation Army as well as researchers from a think-tank of the chief of general staff, though there were no ranking generals.

Chen Chung-shin, one of two ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers at the meeting, said the talks were to break the ice.

The official topic of discussion was "The development of Chinese naval power since the Sino-Japanese War of 1894" and though current issues were talked about, there was no significant breakthrough.

Mr Chen told the AFP news agency: "The two sides are far apart under the present political standoff.

"If more of such discussions can be held, then we could move toward the direction in the future."

China has denied a Pentagon report that suggested its defence spending was much higher than the $20bn officially acknowledged.

The US assessment that "preparing for a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait is the primary driver for China's military modernisation" angered the Chinese.