US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Saturday called for greater cooperation with China as Beijing pursues the rapid development of its military.

"America wants to expand military-to-military agreements with China to focus not only on risk reduction, but also on practical cooperation," Carter said at a security summit in Singapore.

"Our two militaries can also work together, bilaterally or as part of the principled security network, to meet a number of challenges –- like terrorism and piracy –- in the Asia-Pacific and around the world."