WASHINGTON - China's senior military official Chen Bingde met US Defense Secretary Robert Gates here Wednesday as the two countries seek to build military ties.

Welcoming the visit by Chen, Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Gates said good relations between the armed forces of the two countries served the interests of both countries.

Gates said both sides had made some progress in their military relations, noting more frequent and substantial exchanges between the two armies were expected as the ties between the two countries grew.

The two sides needed to strengthen dialogue and consultation as well as cooperation in the fields where they shared common interests, and curb the differences and contradictions effectively, Gates said.

The US was committed to continuously pushing ahead relations between the two countries and their armed forces, he said.

Chen said China hoped to establish a sound and stable military relationship between the two countries, which would be beneficial not only to both countries and their peoples, but also to global and regional peace and stability.

China was willing to embark on cooperation with the US in such areas as fighting sea pirates and disaster relief, Chen said.

Chen hoped the two sides would respect each other, build mutual trust and settle their differences properly to further boost the relations between the two countries and their armed forces.

After the meeting, Chen held a joint press conference together with Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Earlier Wednesday morning, Chen met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying his visit to the US was part of efforts to implement the consensus reached by Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama.

He hoped the two sides would strengthen dialogue and communications, respect each others' core interests, properly settle differences, and continuously advance the ties between the Chinese and US armed forces.

Clinton said a sound and stable relationship between the US and China, the two most important big countries in the world, was very important.

She believed Chen's visit would not only push ahead the ties between the armed forces of the two countries, but would also help establish a partnership between the two countries.

Before meeting the US secretary of state, Chen had breakfast with some US congressmen and exchanged views on ties between the two countries and their armed forces.

Chen arrived here Sunday, leading a high-ranking delegation for a week-long official visit to the United States.