ULAN BATOR: Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel flew to Mongolia on Thursday to endorse stronger military ties with a government eager for US partnership as a counterweight to its powerful neighbors, Russia and China.

Hagel’s trip to Mongolia, only the second by a US defense secretary and the first in nine years, will feature the signing of a “joint vision” statement between the two sides that calls for expanding military cooperation through joint training and assistance, US officials said.