The Chinese military has been open and candid about its military capabilities with a visiting U.S. delegation, allowing the group to tour a navy destroyer and visit an artillery division that controls nuclear missiles, a top U.S. lawmaker said Monday.

Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the group of seven U.S. lawmakers were in China to seek ``continued openness'' with the Chinese military.

The People's Liberation Army, the world's largest standing army with 2.3 million members, is often criticized for lack of transparency and accused of routinely understating its budget. But Skelton said there was ``no question'' that Beijing had been more open during his visit.

``Thus far we've received very candid answers about the capability of their military, they seem to be hiding nothing in our discussions with them.

``I think it's beneficial to both China and the United States that there be strong military-to-military exchanges, that lowers possibility of misunderstanding, of lack of understanding of the other national security forces,'' he told The Associated Press.

The group of lawmakers has met with several Chinese officials and toured a naval destroyer at a base in Qingdao in northeastern China. On Monday, they were to visit China's military sciences academy and the No. 2 artillery division, which controls China's nuclear and conventional missile forces.

They would also hold talks with Wu Bangguo, the head of China's legislature and the Communist Party's No. 2 ranking official.

In June, Skelton and the Pentagon accused the Chinese military of intentionally understating what it spends on military programs. Its official defense budget for this year is about $45 billion, but the ``real'' budget is between $85 billion and $125 billion, Skelton said then.

Skelton avoided nearly all criticism of Beijing on Monday, saying only that the Chinese had not been completely open about every topic.

``A visit like this and continued open visits similar to this, in my opinion, will help open some of those doors that are closed, in particular in relation to the budget,'' he said.

Skelton's staff said he had asked to visit a naval base in the northeastern city of Dalian but was taken to Qingdao instead.

Earlier this month, the incoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, visited China and said he was given unprecedented access to the country's navy.

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