WASHINGTON - CHINA'S military has made dramatic progress in space over the past decade and the goals of its programme remain unclear, a top American general said on Tuesday.

Citing Beijing's advances in space, General Kevin Chilton, head of US Strategic Command, said it was crucial to cultivate US-China military relations to better understand China's intentions.

'With regard to China's capabilities, I think anyone who's familiar with this business - and particularly our history in this business over the years - would have to be absolutely amazed at the advancement that China has made in such a short period of time, whether that be in their unmanned program or the manned programme,' Gen Chilton told reporters in a teleconference, referring to Beijing's space program.

'They have rapidly advanced over the last ten years. Where they're heading I think is one of those things that a lot of people would like to understand better, what their goals and objectives are. But they certainly are on a fast track to improve their capabilities,' he said from Omaha, Nebraska.

Gen Chilton's comments came after a top Chinese air force commander, Xu Qiliang, called the militarisation of space a 'historical inevitability' and said that the country's military was developing offensive and defensive operations in space.

The Chinese commander's remarks, reported by state media on Monday, marked an apparent shift in Beijing's opposition to weaponising outer space. -- AFP