As China and the United States vow to forge closer ties between their militaries, frequent high-level visits between the two militaries are becoming essential in deepening their mutual trust and avoiding strategic misjudgments.

The visit to the US this week by Cai Yingting, deputy chief of the general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, marks a step forward in keeping this desirable momentum going.

It's good to see both countries working in concert to promote military exchanges and maintain normal military relations. Cai's trip comes after Liang Guanglie, chief of the general staff of the PLA, paid a weeklong visit to the US in May. Liang's tour, the first by a Chinese defense chief in nine years, was widely perceived as being a landmark event of its kind in relations between China and the US.