Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 19, 2012. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has met with visiting US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. It's Panetta's first visit to China as Defense Secretary.
The two sides expressed the importance of establishing a "new type of military relations", based on equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation. Panetta arrived in the country on Monday evening at the invitation of China's Minister of National Defense Liang Guanglie. His trip also follows Liang's visit to the US in May.
The US military says the exchange is aimed at deepening military ties with China. Panetta is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the Armed Force Engineering Institute in Beijing, and visit a naval facility in East China's city of Qingdao.
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