May 11 (Bloomberg) -- The top U.S. commander in the Pacific urged Chinese leaders in Beijing to better explain their military buildup, improve communications and beef up exchange programs of officers as a way to strengthen ties.

Admiral William Fallon, head of Pacific Command, made the pitch in back-to-back meetings in the Chinese capital yesterday with General Ge Zhengfeng, deputy chief of staff, and Cao Gangchuan, the defense minister, both of whom welcomed the recommendations. The Chinese officials said the U.S. should reduce its military contacts with Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province.

``Our two countries should get along well,'' Cao told Fallon. ``Our younger officers, they should know more about each other.''

The meetings came near the start of a weeklong tour of China by Fallon, his second such trip since taking over command of U.S. military operations in the Pacific region last year, an area that covers about half of the globe. The meetings are aimed at clearing up confusion about Chinese military intentions.

Fallon's trip, which also has diplomatic overtones, includes cultural stops at the Great Wall and the terra cotta warriors of Xian.

It was the first high-level U.S. contact between the two countries since President Hu Jintao met with President George W. Bush in Washington last month. Bush and Hu also discussed the prospect of broadening military exchanges.

`Lens of Ignorance'

Ge said it was important for Chinese and U.S. officials to deepen their relationship so they don't view each other through the ``lens of ignorance and suspicion.'' Both Ge and Cao spoke through an interpreter.

One obstacle to closer cooperation is the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2000, which restricts contacts and military exchanges. Legislators recently asked Fallon whether the U.S. Congress should abolish some of those curbs.

Fallon, 61, told Cao that he needed to be able to show an increased openness on China's part before he would recommend that the restrictions be lifted.

The admiral invited Cao to send officers to observe a major U.S. naval and air force joint exercise in the Pacific in June, as a way of demonstrating the U.S. commitment to ``transparency'' in its military operations, he said.

In an interview aboard his plane en route to China on May 8, Fallon said he was disappointed the U.S. wasn't invited to observe a joint Chinese-Russian exercise last year.

Fallon also urged China to take part in a meeting of Pacific regional commanders later this year in Kuala Lumpur.

Expanding Arsenal

Fallon's discussions in China come amid heightened concern in Washington about the military buildup in the most populous country, which is also the fastest-growing major developing- nation economy.

A 2005 congressionally mandated annual report on Chinese military power documented an expanding arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, submarines and advanced aircraft. It determined that the Chinese People's Liberation Army ``is modernizing its forces, emphasizing preparations to fight and win short- duration, high-intensity conflicts along China's periphery.''

The U.S. assessment said if the trend continues, the capabilities of China ``could pose a credible threat to other modern militaries operating in the region.''

China puts its military budget at $35 billion this year, while U.S. officials have speculated the actual spending could be close to three times that amount.

Taiwan Concern

A concern among policy makers in Washington is that China could attack Taiwan if Taiwan seeks independence and unification talks fail.

Cao urged the U.S. to ``stop any official contact, especially military'' with the ``Taiwanese authority'' and to halt the sale of advanced arms to Taiwan. He said China had noted the ``very frequent contact'' with Taiwanese military officials.

Fallon said the U.S. was committed by law to defend Taiwan, though he has urged Taiwanese officials to move ahead on purchases of U.S. equipment that would enable the island to defend itself.

While the U.S. has offered to sell Taiwan a package of missiles, submarines and other weaponry, internal political fighting in Taiwan has prevented the purchase.

Dinner Diplomacy

Cao described Taiwan as the ``biggest issue'' on the U.S.- China military agenda, while Fallon focused on gaining an understanding of what China wants ``to do with this increased power.''

Friction over Taiwan seemed to ease when Ge and Fallon expanded their discussions over a dinner of vinegar-pepper soup with cuttlefish roe, pigeon egg soup and stewed beefsteak while the People's Liberation Army naval band played.

Fallon noted that the U.S. and China could jointly ``solve some of these challenges that abound in the region,'' echoing a theme put forth by Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick last year that China ought to behave like a ``responsible stakeholder'' in the world system.

``There is much that we can potentially do together,'' Fallon said.

The admiral, who served earlier in his career as a combat fighter pilot, said better lines of communication were important to avoid mishaps like the April 2001 collision between a U.S. Navy spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet. The Chinese pilot was killed and the spy plane and its crew were held for 11 days, straining military relations between the countries.

To contact the reporter on this story: Janine Zacharia in Beijing at jzacharia@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 10, 2006 13:49 EDT