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.

(Xinhua News Agency April 13, 2004)