US Vice President Richard Bruce Cheney arrived in Beijing Tuesday afternoon, starting a three-day working visit to China.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhou Wenzhong and US Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt welcomed Cheney at the Beijing Capital International Airport.

Cheney was invited by his Chinese counterpart Zeng Qinghong, who will hold talks with him Tuesday evening. Other Chinese leaders will meet Cheney on Wednesday.

This is Cheney's first visit to China as US Vice President.

Beijing is the first leg of Cheney's China tour and he is also scheduled to visit Shanghai.

Profile of Dick Cheney

Name: Richard Bruce Cheney

Birthdate:Jan. 30, 1941

Hometown:Born in Lincoln, Nebrasaka; grew up in Casper, Wyoming.

Family:Wife Lynne, a native of Casper; two grown daughters, Elizabeth and Mary

Education:

Attended Yale University, 1959.

Received bachelor's and master's degree in political science from the University of Wyoming, 1965 and 1966 respectively.

Did doctoral work at the University of Wisconsin, 1966-68

Career:

Deputy Assistant to President Ford, 1974-75;

White House chief of staff under Gerald Ford, 1975-76;

Wyoming representative, 1978-89;

House Republican whip, 1988-89;

Secretary of defense under President Bush, 1989-93; directing Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East.

Chairman of the Board and CEO of Dallas-Based Halliburton Company, one of the world's leading engineering and construction companies in the oil industry, from 1995; resigned effective July 25, 2000.

Bush announced Cheney as his running mate on July 25, 2000.

Bush announced Cheney would head his vice presidential search on April 25, 2000.

US Vice president, 2000-present