Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Friday that China welcomed the visit of United States Senator Steve Daines, stressing that a stable and healthy China-US relationship benefits both nations.

"China welcomes Daines' visit and is open to visits from US congress members and other representatives from various sectors," Mao told reporters at a regular news briefing in Beijing.

Daines, a Republican from Montana, arrived in the Chinese capital on Thursday after meeting with top leaders in Vietnam, according to social media posts by him and the US Embassy in Beijing.

"China always believes that the stable, healthy and sustainable development of relations between China and the US aligns with the shared interests of our peoples and meets the expectations of the global community," Mao said.