The top U.S. military officer says Washington is committed to maintaining its military presence in Asia, and that the United States and China must work together to ensure regional security. Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comment yesterday at the start of a four-day trip to China. The official Xinhua news agency said he met with Chen Bingde, Chief of staff of the Chinese military on Monday morning. Mullen is also scheduled to meet with Vice President Xi Jinping, Defense Minister Liang Guanglie and other officials today. The meetings will focus on stalled nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea, the Taiwan issue and confidence building measures between China and the United States. Later in the week, Admiral Mullen is due to visit Chinese military bases outside Beijing.