A top U.S. military leader has said that he believes the future for China and the United States has much more potential to be positive than to be negative.

"I see great promise in our relationship with China," General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a luncheon at the National Press Club on Friday.

"I believe that there is so much more good possible than potential bad. I believe that the more that we have economic ties, which we are increasing every day; that the more that the people of the United States and the people of China benefit from open trade, the more -- the less likely it is that there'd be any kind of conflict," he said.

Pace said a threat is a combination of somebody else's capability and intent, and he did not believe that China has the intent to be in military confrontation with the United States.

He said it was his and the U.S. military's responsibility to provide to the nation the capacity to deal with any challenge, "but I truly believe that the future for China and the United States has much more potential to be very, very positive than to be negative."

Source: Xinhua