US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta will visit China in mid-September, the spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defence said yesterday. Geng Yansheng said China and the US plan military exchanges aimed at combating piracy. Asked if a recent beach head drill was in response to a US-Japan joint exercise, Geng said the exercise was scheduled and aimed at improving the co-operation among different forces. AFP and Staff Reporter

A Guangzhou Yuexiu district PLA officer has been accused of assaulting a flight attendant on a China Southern Airlines flight over a luggage dispute. She posted photos on her microblog showing bruises on her arms and neck, accusing the officer of assaulting her because she did not put away his luggage, the reports. Li Jing