Earlier this month, the senior US official said that he was planning to pay an official visit to the Asian state in the end of month.
"At invitation of… Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe, the US defense secretary will visit China on June 26-28. The leadership of China, as well as of the Chinese Armed Forces will hold meeting with him," the statement said.
"Development of sound and stable relations in a military sphere is in line with common interests of the two states, as well as with common expectations of international community," the ministry said.
The press service of the Chinese ministry added that Beijing had been paying attention to enhancement of military contacts with Washington and hoped for making such contacts and important element of relations between the two nations.
On June 14, the US-based media outlets reported, citing Pentagon officials that Beijing was deploying various classes of missiles to contested areas of the Spratly Islands region in the South China Sea.
The Asia-Pacific region has several territorial disputes in the South China and East China seas that involve Brunei China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. China considers the Spratly archipelago as its territory, despite the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, which said there was no legal basis for China's maritime claims.