State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel vowed on Wednesday to advance military ties between their countries.

In a phone conversation, Chang, who congratulated Hagel on his appointment as Pentagon chief, said military relations are an important part of the overall bilateral relationship and that developing inter-military ties is not only the consensus between Chinese and US leaders, but also the common wishes of the two defense departments and armies.

China values its military ties with the United States, Chang said, and it is willing to work with Washington to address inter-military relations within the framework of building a cooperative China-US partnership, earnestly respecting each other's core interests and dealing with each other's grave concerns.