BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan met here Wednesday with Zbigniew Brzezinski, who served as national security advisor to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s.

Cao spoke highly of the current China-U.S. relations, saying the sound and stable development of bilateral relations is conducive to the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples as well as to the world peace, stability and prosperity.

Cao also expressed satisfaction with the development of the relations between two armed forces.

China will make joint efforts with the United States to promote understanding, narrow differences, and expand exchanges and cooperation so as to advance the constructive and cooperative bilateral relationship, Cao said.

Cao also briefed Brzezinski on China's military construction and its position on the Taiwan issue.

Brzezinski said the U.S.-China relationship is one of the most important in the world and the two countries have witnessed closercontact in various fields in recent years.

He hoped the two sides could expand military exchanges in the future and there is still much room for further cooperation between Chinese and U.S. armed forces.

Brzezinski is here for academic exchanges at the invitation of China Institute for International Strategic Studies.

Besides Beijing, Brzezinski has visited Chongqing in southwest China, and will visit southern China's Guilin and central Luoyang cities.