The United States Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said the lack of military contact between the US and China is damaging regional security in Asia. <br/> <br/>Speaking at a security conference in Singapore, Gates appealed to Beijing to restore military relations, which it suspended in protest against recent US arms sale to Taiwan. <br/> <br/>Gates blamed the Chinese military leadership for the lack of military contact between the two countries, which he told his audience, is having a real cost on Asian regional security. <br/>