BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), left Beijing Sunday evening for a visit to the United States, the latest sign of closer ties between the two armed forces.

　　Invited by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Guo is the highest-ranking military officer to visit the United States since 2001.

　　Guo ranks the second to Chairman Hu Jintao in the 11-member CMC, China's top military authority.

　　China-U.S. military ties were broken off in 2001 when a Chinese fighter aircraft was damaged by a U.S. surveillance plane over the South China Sea.

　　Guo's visit comes when China-U.S. military relations are "at the best since 2001," said Qian Lihua, deputy director of Foreign Affairs Office of Chinese Defense Ministry.

　　Qian said Guo's U.S. visit is "the most important Chinese military exchange with another country this year."

　　During his stay in Washington, Guo is scheduled to hold talks with Rumsfeld on a wide range of issues, including international and regional security, and China-U.S. military ties. He will also meet with other members of the U.S. administration.

　　In addition, the week-long U.S. visit will take Guo to U.S. military bases and institutions.

　　Analysts say cooperative agreements on specific fields might come out of Guo's U.S. visit.

　　"Guo's visit will help promote China-U.S. strategic trust on traditional security, and expand cooperation on non-traditional security fields," said Yang Yi, director of the Institute for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University of China.

　　Among Guo's entourage are Political Commissar of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Nanjing Military Area Command Lei Mingqiu, Deputy Commander of PLA Navy Zhao Xingfa, Deputy Commander of PLA Air Force Liu Chengjun, and Chief of Staff of PLA Second Artillery Force Yu Jixun.