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Top Chinese military officials on Tuesday pledged to strengthen communication and cooperation with the United States, but also called for proper resolution of the issue of US surveillance flights near China.

Defense Minister Liang Guanglie and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Ma Xiaotian of the Chinese People's Liberation Army made the remarks during meetings with visiting Commander of US Pacific Command Samuel Locklear.

This visit comes one day before the largest-ever Rim of the Pacific naval exercises, scheduled from Wednesday to Aug 7 in Hawaii. It involves 22 nations, including the US, India and Australia, but not China, which was not invited to participate or observe.

China-US military ties have great potential as overall bilateral relations have been developed in a stable manner, Liang said, adding that establishing new, equal and mutually beneficial military relations is the inevitable need of both militaries and the common expectation from the international community.

China would like to boost military exchanges with the US and deepen cooperation in the fields of non-traditional security, said Ma. "This is in the best interest of both peoples, as well as the region and the whole world."

The two Chinese officers expressed concerns over the US strategic shift to the Asia-Pacific region and its frequent military surveillance close to China's coast. They urged the US to resolve related issues as soon as possible.

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