Chopsticks, kung pao chicken bring Pentagon chief closer to PLA soldiers

It was a recipe for successful military interaction, with light-hearted banter and easy conversation on the menu as US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel savored traditional Chinese cuisine for his lunch on Wednesday at a noncommissioned officer school in Beijing.

But the US defense chief, like any good military tactician, was quick to take note of his surroundings, and immediately focused on a fresh-faced man sitting beside him.