Chinese military “decades” behind US

China has insisted that its military technology lags "decades behind" the United States and other developed countries and poses no threat to the rest of the world, according to one of China's top generals.

Liang Guanglie, the Chinese defense minister, also said Monday that it was up to the United States to change its policies if it wanted better ties with China's military.

Speaking on the first day of a three-day trip to Beijing by Robert Gates, the U.S. defense secretary, Liang said: "The efforts that we place on the research and development of weapons systems are by no means targeted at any third country or any other countries in the world, and it will by no means threaten any other country in the world."

Liang denied that China's development of systems such as an aircraft carrier-killing ballistic missile, anti-satellite weapons and a new stealth fighter, posed a threat to the United States.

"We cannot call ourselves an advanced military country," Liang told reporters. "The gap between us and advanced countries is at least two to three decades."

However, even as he traveled to Beijing, Gates pledged that the United States would attempt to match the Chinese advances. "I've been concerned about the development of anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles ever since I took this job," he said.

Li Keqiang, who is likely to become China's prime minister next year, went further in suggesting China's peacable intent. On the first day of a tour of Britain, Li stressed that China had "actively mediated" to reduce international tensions in Iran, Darfur and North Korea.

Liang, meanwhile, was reserved in his comments about U.S. programs designed to bring the two sides closer together. Asked about Gates' proposal that the U.S. and Chinese militaries engage in a wide-ranging strategic dialogue on North Korea, he said simply that the PLA was "studying it."

Liang did reiterate the commitment of the People's Liberation Army to pursuing joint work with the U.S. military on counterterrorism, counter-piracy, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Gates and Liang agreed to establish a working group to bring the United States and Chinese armies closer together after a period of tension, mainly over a proposed arms sale to Taiwan. China has also loudly complained about joint exercises that the United States has carried out in the Yellow Sea.