Call for better military ties

BEIJING - A Chinese rear admiral said the commander of the United States forces in the Pacific was "making a show" when he said that his country's military ties with China were lagging behind the other bilateral dealings in maturity and sophistication.

Admiral Robert Willard had earlier told People's Liberation Army (PLA) deputy chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Ma Xiaotian, that it was regretful that military ties were so far behind the "other very mature engagements that occur between our two countries", as AP reported.

Willard made the comment during the first of high-level military talks between the two sides since Beijing suspended military exchanges earlier this year over US arms sales to Taiwan.