US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is expected to visit China later this year as part of efforts to improve military relations, a senior Chinese army officer told the China Daily. "Defense Secretary Rumsfeld is willing to visit China this year, but the specific timing will be decided after further discussions between the two military sides," Colonel Tu Qiming said. Tu's remarks followed the opening of a US-China military dialogue which began Monday and focused on Taiwan. In October 2003 Rumsfeld's Chinese counterpart Cao Gangchuan visited Washington, the first Chinese defense minister to travel to the United States since 1996.