U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta arrived in Beijing Monday evening, kicking off his first visit to China as the Pentagon chief.

During his four-day stay, Panetta will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie. He is also slated to deliver a speech at the Armed Force Engineering Institute in Beijing and visit a naval facility in east China's city of Qingdao.

Last month, the Ministry of Defense said Panetta's visit is part of this year's bilateral military-to-military exchanges. The ministry said that the two militaries will conduct exchanges regarding their bilateral contact mechanism and military academies, as well as hold joint anti-piracy maritime exercises.

Panetta is in the Asia-Pacific region for a week-long trip. He completed a two-day visit to Japan on Monday and will go to New Zealand.

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