Chen Bingde (R), chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, arrives for a joint news briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday with the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen. [Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse]

Senior military officer Chen Bingde Wednesday played down media reports about the mainland's missile deployment across the Taiwan Straits, but warned against further US arms sales to Taiwan.

Chen, chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said "I can tell you here, responsibly, that we only have garrison deployment across the Taiwan Straits, and we do not have operational deployment, much less missiles stationed there."

He made the comments when attending a joint news briefing at the Pentagon with Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

When answering a question about Taiwan's request to buy US F-16 combat aircraft, Chen said that if the Pentagon goes ahead with additional arms sales to Taiwan, it would definitely undermine Sino-US military relations.

He urged Washington to review the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which provides a legal basis for the Pentagon to sell "defensive arms" to Taiwan, since cross-Straits relations have undergone fundamental changes over the past decades, China Daily reported.

High-level military talks resumed between China and the U.S. earlier this year when US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Beijing in January, where the two militaries pledged to keep an open channel for defense and maritime security consultations.

China suspended military contact with the U.S. last year after the U.S. made a $6.5-billion arms sale to Taiwan.

A news release issued after the talks between Chen and Mullen said that the Chinese and US navies will conduct a series of joint exercises to counter piracy in the Gulf of Aden, according to China Daily.

The militaries of the two countries will also conduct a joint exercise next year in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Exchange visits by navy hospital ships, plus a joint exercise focusing on medical aid, are also on the agenda.

Chen, the former head of China's manned space program, was appointed Chief of General Staff in September 2007. As the first chief of the general staff to visit the US in seven years, Chen headed a delegation that included senior officers from all branches of the military.

The delegation also met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several members of the US Congress.

Related

• China opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan
• US arms sales to Taiwan on hold
• China again urges US to end arms sales to Taiwan
• Arms sales to Taiwan remain 'biggest' obstacle to China-U.S. military ties

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