Beijing_ Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe expressed his confidence today that the visit of his US counterpart, James Mattis, will help alleviate friction and improve relations in military matters, Prensa Latina reports.

By officially welcoming the US Secretary of Defense, Wei also called on him to work to promote mutual trust and facilitate the development of healthier contacts between the two armies.

Mattis, meanwhile, invited the Chinese minister to visit his country at the 'appropriate time'.

The two officials spoke behind closed doors on issues of common interest to their nations.

According to the schedule, the American official will met this Wednesday with the president Xi Jinping and other high authorities of the Government.

Mattis is the first US Secretary of Defense to travel to the Asian giant since 2014 and arrives amid major regional events, such as the distension on the Korean peninsula, and bilateral frictions over the illegal entry of US ships into Chinese waters.

The Beijing authorities said that the analysis of the military ties will be the priority in the meetings he will hold here, where he will stay until tomorrow.

Joint efforts are expected in the same direction to make such links 'an important factor of stability' between the two powers.

The military issue is another reason for the current friction between China and the United States due to the saga of military incursions -including the deployment of B-52 bombers- that the US has been carrying out without permission in the waters of the Asian giant since the beginning of this year.

Beijing responded with a reinforcement of the defensive capacity of the Air and Naval forces before such movements, which it considers provocative and harmful to the confidence of both armies and the good order of the maritime space.

Mattis will continue tomorrow's trip to South Korea and Japan.

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