Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, in a visit to the Pentagon on Monday, met with United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and called for the two sides to continue to build upon their military ties.

After meeting with Panetta, Liang told a news conference that the two sides are committed to continue building a sound, stable and reliable military-to-military relationship through more communication.

"Facing the complicated and serious security situation in Asia-Pacific, both of us agree that it is in line with our own interests to strengthen the cooperation between the two militaries in order to protect the peace and stability of the region," he said.

Liang, who arrived on Friday, is the first Chinese defense minister to visit the US in nine years. His trip to the US was postponed last year after Washington announced it would sell weapons to Taiwan, a move Beijing strongly opposes.

Panetta hailed the talk with Liang as "productive" with topics ranging from regional issues to maritime and cyber security.

"The United States and China are both Pacific powers and our relationship is one of the most critical in the world," he said. "We share many interests across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. It is central for our two nations to communicate effectively on a range of challenging issues."

Panetta said that although the two countries have different views on several issues, "we believe our military-to-military dialogue is critical to ensure that we avoid dangerous misunderstandings and misperceptions that could lead to crisis".

As the new US military strategy shifts to the Asia-Pacific region, he said, the US wants to enhance cooperation with China.

Though Washington recognizes that the US and China share common interests in the region's stability and prosperity, it believes that China's rise will affect the region's economy and security. According to a report by the Pentagon, the US is worried about China's military buildup.

Panetta said that he is looking forward to his visit to China in the coming months.

Both sides also agreed to hold a joint exercise on counter-piracy in the Gulf of Aden in western Africa later this year.

The Chinese minister visited the naval base in San Diego and met with US Deputy State Secretary William Burns on Monday morning.

He will visit military bases in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and the United States Military Academy at West Point.

tanyingzi@chinadailyusa.com