Chinese and U.S. defense chiefs reached consensuses on further developing military ties and strengthening pragmatic communication and cooperation between their countries during Monday's meeting.

During the talks, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said his visit aims at implementing the important consensuses reached by Chinese President Hu Jintao and the U.S. President Barack Obama on developing the cooperative partnership between the two countries

Liang said the military ties between the two sides have generally been moving forward despite a number of differences such as U.S. arms sale to China's Taiwan, close-in reconnaissance activities by U.S. planes and ships on China and discriminated laws against China.

China and the United States should make efforts to establish a new type of military relationship that stresses equality, mutual benefit,cooperation and win-win, said Liang, adding that such a relationship is not unilaterally dominated, exclusive and zero-sum in nature.

The Chinese defense minister also proposed that the two militaries embrace polices that would promote ties between them, strengthen dialogues and communication and promote mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation and properly handle differences and sensitive issues.

U.S. defense chief Leon Panetta said the United States supports to build the two-way military ties which is future-oriented.

Panetta hoped that the two sides would step up their cooperation to face security threats and challenges together.

During the meeting the two defense chiefs reached four consensuses:

Firstly, to make efforts to build the sound, stable and reliable military to military relationship in accordance with President Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama's shared vision for a China-U.S. cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Secondly, continuing to take advantage of the defense consultative talks, the defense policy coordination talks, and the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement and the defense telephone link as important channels to deepen understanding, expand consensus, improve mutual trust and reduce differences.

Thirdly, to enhance exchanges and cooperation with respect to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, environmental protection, medical, educational, cultural, sports, military archive and other fields.

Fourthly, to conduct joint exercises on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and counterpiracy this year.

"China-U.S. bilateral relationship is on a new starting line in history to build a new type of China-U.S. military relationship based on equality, cooperation and mutual benefit which is in accordance with the level of China-U.S. cooperative partnership," Liang said. "It's the common responsibility of the defense departments of both countries and the common aspiration of global and regional countries."

Liang also said that China would like to work with the U.S. to seriously implement these important agreements reached by the two heads of state to respect each other's core interests and major concerns and to properly handle disagreements and differences pushing forward the sound and stable development of our mil-mil relationship through enhanced dialogue and communication and through deepened practical cooperation.

Panetta was invited to pay a visit to China at the second half of this year at a time convenient for both sides.

Before their meeting Panetta held a welcome ceremony for Liang and after the meeting the two defense chiefs attended a joint press conference.

(Xinhua News Agency contributed to the news story.)

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