"China-U.S. military relations, an important part of overall relations, have seen an increase in exchanges," Liang Guanglie, chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, told Michael Dunn, the visiting president of the U.S. National Defense University.

Liang said President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the United States would exert a great impact on bilateral constructive and cooperative relations, Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday.

He hoped the national defense universities of the two countries would step up exchanges and cooperation, contributing more to the sound development of China-U.S. military ties.

Liang also briefed Dunn on China's military construction and expounded on China's stance on the Taiwan issue.

"Militaries will play a very important role in improving the relations between the United States and China," Dunn said, calling for increased exchanges between military academies.