U.S. defense chief to visit China

BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will visit China from Nov. 4 to 6 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Cao Gangchuan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said here Thursday.

Gates is expected to meet with Chinese state and military leaders and exchange views on international and regional security, China-U.S. state and military relations and other major issues of mutual concern, spokesman Liu Jianchao said.

"We believe Gates' upcoming China trip is an important event in Sino-U.S. relations this year, and attach great importance to it," Liu told a regular press briefing.

China hopes the visit would help strengthen understanding and trust between the two militaries in a bid to promote healthy development of bilateral ties, the spokesman added.

It will be Gates's first China trip since becoming defense secretary in December of last year.