US Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for deeper military ties with Beijing, telling a top Chinese general it was time to end a pattern of "on-again, off-again" relations.

In a meeting with General Xu Caihou, China's second-ranking officer, Gates stressed the need to preserve a lasting dialogue between the US and Chinese militaries regardless of disputes or policy differences, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said.

"There is a need to break the on-again, off-again cycle of our military-to-military relationship," said Morrell, briefing reporters on the Pentagon chief's meeting with Xu.

The talks marked the highest-level visit by the Chinese military since 2006, as Beijing has sometimes pulled back from military contacts, objecting to US arms sales to Taiwan and US surveillance ships off China's waters.

In the past, progress has been followed by "a hiccup that will cause there to be a suspension in mil-to-mil relations," noted Morrell.

Xu's week-long visit is the latest in a long effort to improve US-Chinese military ties, which have lagged behind economic and diplomatic relations -- veering over the past decade between periods of crisis and brief spells of wary engagement.

It also comes ahead of President Barack Obama's first official trip to China November 15-18.

The Chinese general was open to bolstering military cooperation but cited obstacles, such as US military support for Taiwan and the presence of US surveillance ships in waters that Beijing deem an economic exclusion zone, said a defense official, who asked not to be named.

Gates portrayed the military dialogue as a crucial way of airing differences over maritime law or other issues, the official said.

"We ought to be able to talk about those policy disagreements in an appropriate setting, but the important thing is we shouldn't let those policy disagreements lead us to take actions that might precipitate a crisis or undermine the entire bilateral relationship," the official added.

Beijing cut military exchanges with Washington for months last year over a proposed 6.5-billion-dollar US arms package to Taiwan, but agreed to resume them in February.

Xu supported more military contacts, Morrell said, inviting Gates to visit China in 2010, along with the top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, and the new head of US Pacific Command, Admiral Robert Willard.

"He was very receptive to the notion put forth by Secretary Gates that we need to increase opportunities for cooperation and military exchanges," including educational exchanges for junior officers and senior non-commissioned officers, Morrell said.

"This was by all measures a good and productive meeting."

The pair agreed "to improve military maritime operational and tactical safety" when the two armed forces operate near each other, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The talks on maritime operations were set for December. Such discussions appeared aimed at avoiding a repeat of standoffs earlier this year that saw Chinese vessels confront US surveillance ships.

The defense secretary and general also agreed to hold a joint maritime search and rescue exercise as part of efforts to strengthen ties, the statement said.

Gates, who hosted Xu for dinner on Monday evening, had pushed for months for the visit and has called for dialogue between the two countries military leaders to build trust and avoid "miscalculations."

During the 75-minute meeting, Gates praised China for taking steps to show more transparency in its defense spending, citing reports issued by Beijing, Morrell said.

The United States has repeatedly urged China to be more transparent about its military spending, warning of a shifting balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region that could cause misunderstanding.

Gates and Xu discussed diplomacy over Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs, and there was "broad agreement" about the situation in Afghanistan, according to Morrell.

The meeting came a day after Xu sought to reassure US concerns over its hi-tech weaponry, insisting that Beijing's military modernization was designed only to meet minimum defense requirements.

Gates said last month that China's increasingly advanced weaponry could undermine US military power in the Pacific, as American aircraft carriers and short-range fighter jets faced potential threats from Chinese missiles and anti-ship systems.

And last week, Willard said China's military buildup had surpassed US intelligence estimates every year for the past decade.

Rainy weather forced the Pentagon to scale back a military welcoming ceremony for Xu, who has been invited on an elaborate tour of major US bases and command centers across the country this week.