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BEIJING, Aug. 17-- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday said he expects military relations would become a major stabilizing factor in Sino-U.S. ties. Xi was meeting with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the first senior military official to visit China since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), said although the visit was brief, it was wide-ranging, showing how relations between the two armed forces have made substantial steps forward. He applauded the new progress made in relations between the two armed forces, such as enhanced dialogue at all levels and improved military confidence-building mechanisms as well as deepened cooperation. During Dunford's visit, the two militaries signed the framework to build a new communication mechanism for their joint staff departments, which Xi said will play a positive role in boosting bilateral ties. He expected that the two armed forces could make good use of existing cooperation mechanisms and platforms to push forward their relations. China is ready to make joint efforts with the U.S. to show mutual respect, focus on cooperation and accumulate more fruitful results to benefit people of the two countries, said Xi. As major influential countries in the region and the world as well as world's top two economies, China and the United States shoulder important responsibility to safeguard world peace and stability and to promote global development and prosperity, he said. | 
