Militaries from China and the United States will enhance communication and properly manage differences and risks, senior military officials said on Wednesday.

China resolutely follows the path of peaceful development, and the Chinese military will adamantly protect national sovereignty, security and development interests, General Wei Fenghe, China's defense minister, said while meeting his US counterpart James Mattis in Beijing, according to a release by the Ministry of National Defense.

Wei also expressed China's stance and concerns to the US top defense official over issues regarding the South China Sea, Taiwan and Korean Peninsula.

China and the US can only achieve joint development by upholding mutual respect, win-win cooperation and nonconfrontational attitudes, Wei said.

The two militaries should fulfill the consensus reached by both countries' State leaders, increase mutual trust and cooperation, properly manage risks, and make Sino-US military-to-military relations truly a stabilizing factor for bilateral relations, he added.

Mattis said China's development is beneficial for the US and the world, and both countries should get along in harmony, according to the release. The US side values Sino-US military relations, and is willing to optimize communication channels with China to facilitate open dialogues and improve risk management, he added.

It is believed that the US and China, two great nations, can facilitate world peace and development through cooperation, he said.

Mattis is conducting his first visit to China from Tuesday to Thursday. It is also the first visit to China of a US defense secretary since Chuck Hagel in April 2014.