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Top US official begins China visit
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-01-24 11:06
US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick arrived in Beijing at the start
of a three-day visit to China.
Robert Zoellick [AFP/file]
| During his visit, Zoellick will meet with Premier Wen
Jiabao and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing "to exchange views on China-US relations
and major international and regional issues of common concern," Xinhua news
agency said.
Zoellick arrived in the Chinese capital from Japan, where his talks with
government leaders were overshadowed by Tokyo's abrupt new ban on US beef over
mad cow disease concerns.
The US State Department has said US concerns over the nuclear programmes of
North Korea and Iran would be on the agenda of Zoellick's talks with Chinese
leaders.
"I look forward to a good exchange of views in Beijing on security and
proliferation issues -- particularly in Northeast Asia, and Iran" among other
topics, Zoellick said in a statement last week.
He is also scheduled to travel to Chengdu in the southwestern province of
Sichuan, where he will meet regional authorities and visit the Chengdu Panda
Research Base, the State Department said.
From China, Zoellick is due to travel to the World Economic Forum summit in
Davos, Switzerland.
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