US Navy chief on second visit to China

Beijing on Monday expressed hope for the United States to work with China to promote military-to-military ties to serve as a stabilizer for bilateral relations as Chief of US Naval Operations John Richardson kicked off his second visit to China.

In a written reply to China Daily, the Foreign Ministry said that the military relationship between China and the US is an important part of bilateral ties, development of a sound and stable military relationship conforms to common interests on both sides and is a common expectation of the international community.

The China-US relationship is now at a critical juncture, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that it hopes the two countries will maintain strategic communication, strengthen the mechanism dialogue, promote pragmatic cooperation at all levels, accumulate mutual trust and manage differences. 

According to the website of the US Navy, Richardson is scheduled to visit China from Sunday to Wednesday and he will meet the People's Liberation Army Navy Commander Shen Jinlong.  

The goal of his visit to Beijing and Nanjing is to continue a results-oriented, risk reduction focused dialog between the two militaries.