Though NATO does not mention China in its new Strategic Concept approved just days ago, NATO's chief says he looks forward to strengthening ties between China and the Western military alliance.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Monday, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO and China should talk and consult with each other in a number of areas as China becomes an emerging force.

As NATO reaffirms its commitment to the principles of the U.N. Charter and China is one of the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, "more regular contacts" should be conducted between NATO and China in the future, he said.

NATO has gradually stepped up its ties with China in recent years and NATO Deputy Secretary General Claudio Bisogniero visited China last year, he said.

"I would very much like to further operate these political consultations. And I think that could be the next step," the NATO chief said.

On the Strategic Concept which was unveiled at the Lisbon summit three days ago and is to guide NATO for the next decade, he said that compared with the concept unveiled in 1999, NATO members pledged to improve their capacities to counter emerging threats coming from missiles, cyber and terrorism.

Realizing that there is no military solutions solely to conflicts, NATO needs to enhance partnerships and engage with major players around the globe, Fogh Rasmussen said.

He said NATO would establish a small unit to interact with civilian actors, such as the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, to implement its so-called "Comprehensive Approach" to conflicts.

"Military operations must go hand in hand with civilian reconstruction and development," he stressed.

At the Lisbon summit, NATO leaders decided to start the transition process in Afghanistan from the beginning of 2011 and complete it by the end of 2014, Fogh Rasmussen said, adding that he was confident NATO can achieve the goal as the Afghan security forces developed rapidly.

"We have set the goal of having 300,000 Afghan soldiers and Afghan police by the end of next year. Already now, we have more than 260,000, so we are ahead of schedule," he said.