The United States is not looking to "hold China down" but is worried about its new weaponry and wants a stronger dialogue with its expanding military, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.

Gates, speaking to reporters on his plane en route to a security forum in Singapore, said he was encouraged by recent signs of progress in security ties with China even amid the rapid military buildup.

"We are not trying to hold China down. China has been a great power for thousands of years. It is a global power and will be a global power," he said.

"So the question is how we work our way through this in a way that assures that we continue to have positive relations in areas like economics and other areas that are important to both of us, and manage whatever differences of view we have in the other areas," he said.

His comments came a day before scheduled talks Friday with his Chinese counterpart, Liang Guanglie, at the Asia security summit in Singapore, where he is also due to meet other defence ministers.

On a final global tour before he steps down as Pentagon chief at the end of June, Gates said China's military modernisation was "proceeding apace" and that Beijing was pursuing weapons that were "a concern to us".

The weaponry posed a potential threat to US aircraft carriers, with China developing "long-range, accurate cruise and ballistic anti-ship missiles", a larger navy, a new stealth fighter jet and cyber and anti-satellite capabilities, he said.

However, the former CIA director said China was not trying to rival the United States as a global military power, and instead was focused on extending its reach in the Pacific.

"I think the Chinese have learned a powerful lesson from the Soviet experience and they do not intend to compete with us across the full range of military capabilities.

"But I think they are intending to build capabilities to give them considerable freedom of action in Asia and an opportunity to extend their influence," he said.

"That's why I believe this strategic dialogue is so important."

In his first visit to China in 2007, Gates had proposed an ambitious agenda for building up military relations with Beijing.

"It's obviously hit snags and obstacles along the way. But I think we're in a pretty good place now, pretty realistic," he said.

US arms sales to Taiwan have been a recurring sticking point, with China suspending ties whenever Washington announces new weapons deals.

Gates acknowledged the arms sales remained a delicate issue, but said the US government over the past several years had tried to "thread the needle pretty carefully" to balance Taiwan's security needs with China's concerns.

US lawmakers are pushing for the sale of dozens of F-16 fighters to Taiwan, which would infuriate China if it receives White House approval, but Gates declined to comment on the proposed deal.

He also repeated his view that there were divisions between the Chinese military and its political leadership, as the top brass at times failed to keep civilian leaders fully informed about their activities.

"What I perceived was that on a day-to-day basis, they didn't go out of their way to keep their political leadership informed of what they were doing," Gates said.

As an example, he said the military had carried out a test flight of a new stealth fighter plane in January -- during his visit to China -- without notifying political leaders.

China has denied Gates's account.

But the Pentagon chief said the People's Liberation Army had orders to improve security ties with the United States.

"President Hu Jintao and the political leadership has basically made clear that they want this relationship with the United States to move in a particular direction. And I think the PLA has been responsive to that."

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