The United States wants to develop further military cooperation with China and doesn't support any move to destabilize relations across the Taiwan Straits, a top commander of the US naval force in the Pacific said in a press briefing in Beijing Tuesday.

Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of US Pacific Command, speaks at a press conference in Beijing, January 15, 2008, during his four-day visit to China. Keating said the US doesn't support any move to destabilize relations across the Taiwan Straits. [chinadaily.com.cn]

Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of US Pacific Command,  acknowledged the "peaceful rise and harmonious development" that China advocates, as well as China's desire to protect things that the country sees as its own.

The US Pacific Command, which covers half of the Earth's surface in the Pacific and Indian oceans, is a crucial force to ensure America's global military interests.

As for Taiwan separatists working to hold a referendum in a bid to join the United Nations and thus create tensions in the Taiwan Straits, the US naval commander said they will "watch carefully and evaluate any element that we see as destabilizing."

He called for further military cooperation and information exchanges between China and the US "to avoid miscalculations", and said he proposed Chinese participation in a multi-national exercise in May this year.

Keating, on his second visit to China since last may, held talks with top Chinese military officials and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Monday.

Yang urged the US to help maintain stability in the Taiwan Straits, saying "it was the key to developing bilateral relations".

"The Chinese side appreciates the US administration's adherence to the one-China policy and its opposition to the Taiwan authorities' attempt to hold a referendum on UN membership," Yang said.

During his meeting with Guo Boxiong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, Keating reaffirmed that the US administration remains committed to the one-China policy, Keating said the Pacific Command is concerned over the cross-Straits situation and will carefully deal with possible factors that may disrupt stability across the Straits.

During the talks, "we specifically emphasized an increase in not just quantity of exercises but also quality and sophistication of exercises," Keating said.

When the US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited China in November, the two countries agreed to open a direct military hotline, the first of its kind between China and any country at the defense ministry level.

"Misunderstanding can lead to crisis or conflict and that is not very much in our interest," said Mr. Keating. "We want peace and stability in the region."

Answering a question on port calls in China, he added the Pacific Command ships still hope to pay more port calls to Hong Kong and other Chinese cities. US warships had port calls at Qingdao, Shanghai and Zhanjiang in the past years. 

The naval commander, paying a four-day visit to China, is flying to Shanghai on Tuesday before visiting Guangzhou in South China.