Aug. 21 ( China Military News cited from Xinhua) — China on Thursday urged the United States to “remove obstacles” to military ties, and asked the United States to respect China’s core interests so as to create conditions for further military cooperation.

“We hope the U.S. side can treat and deal with military ties between the two countries from strategic and long-term perspectives, and take concrete measures to remove obstacles to push forward the military relationship,” said Ge Zhenfeng, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA).

File photo: E-2C AMACS of Taiwan Air Force

Ge made the remarks in talks with visiting U.S. Chief of Staff of the Army George Casey in the PLA headquarters in Beijing.

Military relations between the two countries gradually improved and developed this year, and China was satisfied with the positive progress, said Ge.

U.S. arms sales to Taiwan had harmed China’s core interests and affected the healthy development of bilateral military ties, said Chen Bingde, PLA Chief of the General Staff, who met Casey later Thursday.

The United States should respect China’s core interests and properly handle differences and sensitive issues to create conditions for deepening military cooperation, said Chen.

Casey arrived in Beijing on Wednesday and is scheduled to attend a seminar at the Academy of Military Sciences in Beijing and visit Shenyang Military Area Command in northeastern China.

Casey said he was the first U.S. Chief of Staff of the Army to visit China since 1997.

The visit is expected to help enhance understanding and mutual trust of the two armed forces, said Casey.

The high-ranking military officials from the two countries also agreed to step up cooperation in such areas as humanitarian, disaster relief, culture, sports and exchange of army officers.

The military relations between China and the United States have seen a warming trend recently.

The two countries have agreed to expand military exchanges at various levels at the first U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue held in Washington D.C. in July.

Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) Xu Caihou is due to visit the United States this year at the invitation of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Prior to the dialogue, China and the United States held the 10th round of defense consultations in Beijing in June, after the annual talks were suspended after the outgoing Bush administration announced a 6.5-billion-U.S.-dollar arms package for Taiwan last year.

Casey’s meetings with Chinese military officials on Thursday coincided with the debut of a website for China’s Ministry of National Defense, which pledges to promote the transparency of defense policy and army building.

The founding of the website, approved by the CMC, “is designed to let the outside world have a better understanding of China’s national defense policy, and help enhance foreign exchanges and cooperation,” said a news release on the website.

Analysts say that the military ties are a barometer of the relationship between China and the United states, and there is urgent need for the two militaries to conduct exchanges.