A?senior Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer left Beijing Wednesday for Singapore to attend the seventh Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference, according to a statement from China's Defence Ministry.

Zhang Qinsheng, deputy chief of the General Staff of the PLA, was invited by Chief of Army Staff of the United States Martin Dempsey and Singaporean Army Chief of Staff Ravinder Singh.

The seventh Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference, with the theme of " Building land forces' capabilities through multi-lateral security cooperation", will be co-chaired by the United States and Singapore from July 28 to 30.

Armies chiefs from 22 Asian and Pacific nations will attend the conference, said the statement.