US Vice-President Biden to visit Beijing, Chengdu

BEIJING - US Vice-President Joe Biden will visit China later this month to strengthen ties with Beijing.

"He will visit China at the invitation of Vice-President Xi Jinping - the first of the planned reciprocal visits between the vice-presidents announced during President Hu Jintao's state visit to Washington earlier this year," said a statement issued by the White House on Thursday.

During his stay in Beijing, Biden will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart and meet with President Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao "to consult on a broad range of bilateral, regional, and global issues".