Russian army chief kicks off China visit

Russian Chief of General Staff Yury Baluyevsky arrived in Beijing Thursday morning for a four-day China visit, the first outgoing trip since he took the current post last July.

As guest of his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie, Baluyevsky is expected to meet or hold talks with Chinese state and military leaders during his stay in Beijing, according to sources with Chinese Defense Ministry.

The visit will also bring him to Sanya, a sea resort in south China's Hainan Province.

As China and Russia will conduct their first-ever joint military exercise later this year, Baluyevsky's visit will help deepen the understanding and cooperation between the two militaries, some observers noted.