A senior Chinese military official will visit the United States from May 15 to 22 as the two countries begin to resume high-level military exchanges.

Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, will make the visit at the invitation of Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Spokesman of China's National Defense Ministry Geng Yansheng announced in Beijing Wednesday.

During the trip, Chen will hold talks with Mullen, meet with other political and military leaders of the U.S., as well as visit command centers, troops and institutes of the U.S. armed forces, said Geng at the ministry's first regular press briefing. Chen's visit, the first in seven years by an officer of his rank, is part of an effort to implement a consensus reached by the two countries' heads of state and will play an important role in promoting the steady development of bilateral military ties, Geng said.

According to Geng, military ties are an important part of bilateral relations.

"Healthy and stable military ties are crucial to the China-U.S. cooperative partnership featuring mutual respect, reciprocal and win-win deal," said Geng, adding that China has consistently attached great importance to the development of China-U.S. military relations.

The two militaries have maintained effective communication through channels including defense consultations and working-level meetings between the National Defense Ministry of China and the U.S. Department of Defense, said Geng, adding that he hoped the U.S. side can create an optimal environment for the healthy and stable development of the bilateral military ties.

Geng's remark came in response to doubts voiced by Robert Willard, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, over the effectiveness of China-U.S. military dialogues.

"We believe that mutual respect for each other's core interests and major concerns is the key to advancing Sino-American military ties," said Geng, "It is also important to properly handle differences and sensitive issues for the two nations."

Geng added that the Chinese side is willing to work together with the U.S. side to strengthen communication, improve mutual understanding and mutual trust.