Carrier visit underscores transparency

Hagel's four-day trip seen as a golden chance for positive Sino-US interaction

In a gesture rich in symbolism, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel started his first trip to China since taking office with a landmark visit to the Liaoning aircraft carrier on Monday, the first foreign visitor to board the ship.

Military experts said the visit showed Beijing's commitment to military transparency and underscored its sincerity to strengthen trust and cooperation with the United States.