China "has no plan" to match us

China has increased military funding that its economy has been China has no intention to match American military power, a top Chinese General said.

Speaking in Washington, Gen Chen Bingde said of the U.S. armed forces remained much more advanced than China despite considerable progress in China in recent years.

But Gen Chen warned that other Taiwan American weapons sales could damage US-China military relations.

China regards Taiwan as a province renegade which must be met.

"Yawning gap".

"China never intends to defy the," Gen Chen, Chief of staff of the people of Liberation Army, said at the University of national defence during his weekend visit to the United States.

"Even if the defense and the Chinese military development has come a long way in recent years, a vacuum yawning between you and us remains."

But Gen Chen warned that Sino-US relations would suffer if Washington still once sold weapons to Taiwan.

"As to harm the impact will be, that everything will depend on the nature of the weapons sold to Taiwan," says."

Last year, Beijing cut off military contacts with the United States most after Washington announced more than $6bn (￡ 4) arms sales to Taipei.

Visit of GEN Chen in the United States has attracted a highly favourable press in China - a signal of the importance that the Chinese authorities are now putting on the best military links, the BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Marcus said.

But there should be no illusion, our correspondent says, as superficial harmony inevitably mask underlying significant tensions.

The objective of significant military modernization of China, added, is to extend its military reach well beyond its own shores and potentially neutralize weapons systems where the United States have a dominant advantage.