Chinese, U.S. military leaders vow to further cooperation

In general, the bilateral military relationship shows a positive momentum for development, Xu said. The two militaries have adopted a series of measures to put their relationship back on a normal track and move it forward, in accordance with the consensus reached by the top leaders of the two countries at their London meeting to improve and develop bilateral military ties, he said.

Over the years, Xu noted, the Chinese military has adopted a positive approach toward expanding exchanges and cooperation with the U.S. military, in areas of high-level exchanges, defense consultations and dialogues, and academic education.

The Chinese military has also expanded the positive aspects of its relationship with its U.S. counterpart by conducting joint sea rescue drills and cooperating on humanitarian issues, disaster relief and escorts for commercial ships.

In line with the principles of "respect, mutual trust, reciprocity and mutual benefit" and in the spirit of respecting and taking care of each other's interest and concerns, the Chinese military is ready to work with the U.S. side to make continued efforts to enhance strategic mutual trust and strengthen pragmatic exchanges and cooperation, so as to promote the healthy growth of China-U.S. military-to-military ties.

Gates said the military-to-military ties are a component part of the overall bilateral relationship and there is still much space for cooperation between the two militaries.

He said the U.S.-China military relationship should be developed with a view to expanding common interests and the two sides should break the cycle of "on-again, off-again" in their military-to-military relationship to foster a stable growth momentum.

During the talks, Xu and Gates explored ways to further the military-to-military cooperation and reached agreement on the following points: