Chen Bingde, visiting chief of the General Staff of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), pledged Sunday to lift the friendly ties between the Chinese and Israeli militaries to a new level during a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.

A deepening Sino-Israeli cooperation is contributing to regional peace and stability, Chen said, stressing the relationship between the two countries' armies is developing in recent years.

Barak, who visited China two months ago, hopes that the two countries will work together to tackle all kinds of threats and challenges.

Chen's visit is the first of its kind, according to Israel Defense Force (IDF) Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, who said the visit was significant in promoting the relations between the two militaries.

At the invitation of Gantz, Chen arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday for a three-day visit.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2011)