The United States is closely following China's military modernisation programme and wants to expand exchanges between each country's military to avoid possible tensions, Admiral Robert Willard, the new head of US Pacific Command, told reporters in Seoul.

"I would contend that in the past decade or so China has exceeded most of our intelligence estimates of their military capability and capacity every year. They've grown at an unprecedented rate in those capabilities," he said.

China had obtained "some asymmetric capabilities that are concerning to the region, some anti-access capabilities and so on," said the admiral, referring to ballistic missiles, anti-ship, anti-air and other sophisticated weaponry.

Willard, who this week took over the US military's Pacific Command, also made clear the United States would continue to operate in "international" waters off China despite objections from Beijing over what it calls an economic exclusion zone.

"The United States has operated in the maritime domain in this region of the world for 150 years. And we have no intention of doing any differently," he said.

"We very much exert our right to operate militarily and with our commercial ships in international water throughout the Pacific region".

Tensions flared earlier this year after a series of standoffs involving Chinese vessels and US navy ships in waters off China.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, also visiting Seoul for meetings with South Korean officials and military leaders, said establishing a regular dialogue with China's military was crucial.

"As we develop this relationship, it is important that we have this kind of dialogue to prevent mistakes and miscalculations," said Gates, taking questions from US and South Korean soldiers.

"By the same token, the Chinese have a similar interest in preventing destabilisation and destabilising activities in the region as much as any of us," he added.

Gates described China as "a huge world economic power" that also had "a broad range of military modernisation programmes going on".

The defence chief in September said China's increasingly advanced weaponry could undermine US military power in the Pacific, as American aircraft carriers and short-range fighter jets faced potential threats from missiles and anti-ship and anti-satellite systems.

Willard said in his new post as head of the Pacific Command, which takes in more than 30 countries across Asia, he would work to bolster relations with China's military.

"China is not our enemy. And we look forward to a constructive relationship with China and their constructive contribution to the security of the Asia-Pacific region," he said.

He said a senior American naval officer attended a Chinese naval fleet review in April as part of the renewed dialogue.

China's second-ranking military officer, General Xu Caihou, vice chairman of the People's Liberation Army central military commission, also was due to visit the United States next week for high-level meetings and a tour of major US military bases, the Pentagon announced last week.

China cut military exchanges with the United States for months last year over a proposed 6.5-billion-dollar US arms package to Taiwan, but agreed to resume them in February.

Since then, the two countries have held several rounds of military talks.

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