China, US agree to improve military ties

President Hu Jintao told Rumsfeld that although the military relationship had improved over the years there was still room to expand, senior US defense officials told reporters.

"All this will better help military forces of our two countries to better enhance mutual understanding and friendship," Hu said said in the meeting in the Great Hall of the People.

Rumsfeld earlier made an unprecedented visit to the headquarters of the Strategic Rocket Forces whose commander, General Jing Zhiyuan, assured him of China's policy of "no first use" of nuclear weapons, the officials said.

The officials interpreted the comments as a disavowal of a statement in June by General Zhu Chenghu who said that if US forces targeted China in a crisis over Taiwan, "I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons."

Jing told Rumsfeld suggestions that China was targeting other nations were "completely groundless," a senior US official who attended the meeting said.

"As commander of the strategic forces reporting to the Central Military Command I'm in a position to clarify this," the official quoted Jing as saying.

The US officials regarded the visit to the Strategic Rocket Forces headquarters as something of a coup, saying the Chinese for years had denied requests to visit.

Rumsfeld was told he was the first foreigner to set foot in the building, they said. He was briefed on the organizational structure of the command by Jing's senior staff.

"I think it's a start," another senior US defense official said. "There were some interesting things we may want to pursue."