The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff will visit China on Monday, in a further sign of the growing defence links between the two nations.
The visit by General John Shalikashvili was put on hold for about 12 months due to strained Sino-US relations.
His four-day trip will mirror the visit to the United States in December by China's Defence Minister General Chi Haotian, also postponed due to tensions over Taiwan.
General Shalikashvili is the first US military chief to visit China since 1983, when his predecessor John Vessey made the trip.
'This is part of our programme of strengthening military-to-military relationships between China and the United States,' said Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon.
'The goal is to increase understanding and transparency so that we have a clearer idea of how each military establishment operates so we can do more to co-operate with each other when necessary.' General Shalikashvili will be hosted by his mainland counterpart, Fu Quanyou, Chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army.
During his trip, the general will be invited to inspect several PLA military operations and units. He is also expected to deliver a speech at China's National Defence University.