BEIJING - Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan will pay official good-will visits to Japan and the Philippines from August 29 to September 6, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry.

He will visit the two countries at the invitations of Japanese Defense Minister Koike Yuriko and Philippine Secretary of Defence Gilbert Teodoro.

Cao's upcoming visits aim to fulfill the consensus reached between leaders of China and the two countries and strengthen exchanges and trust in defense and security areas, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.