The Pentagon is planning to send a high-level delegation to Beijing within weeks to lay the groundwork for a potential visit by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, the South China Morning Post has learned.

Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, said the delegation was expected to be led by Elbridge Colby, defence undersecretary for policy and a key architect of the 2026 National Defence Strategy.

According to the sources, the trip was aimed at, among other things, finalising arrangements for a Hegseth visit but they did not offer a timeline for when that might happen.

The Pentagon delegation follows US President Donald Trump’s high-profile visit to Beijing last week. Hegseth was part of the entourage, making him the first American defence chief to accompany a sitting president on a state visit to China since relations were normalised in the late 1970s.

Hegseth’s inclusion meant he was also the first US defence chief to visit China in nearly eight years, marking his first trip there since assuming the role last year.