US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez arrived in Beijing Thursday morning, starting his first visit to China after taking office earlier this year.

Chinese senior officials, including Vice Premier Wu Yi and Commerce Minister Bo Xilai were set to meet or hold talks or with him during his three-day stay in Beijing. US Trade Representative Rob Portman is also scheduled to meet Wu on Saturday.

Economic and trade ties between China and the United States are becoming tense in recent months due to US restrictions on Chinese textile exports and pressure on the exchange rate of Chinese currency.

Local analysts expect this visit could help to cool down the Sino-US textile trade friction, which provoked anger of Chinese textile and garment producers but experts ruled out a trade war.

"Though the parties appear to be tough, the trade dispute is far from a trade war," said Zhang Hanlin, director of the Research Institute on the World Trade Organization with China's University of International Business and Economics. Enditem