US deputy secretary of state to visit Asia

Washington, Feb 5 : US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken is slated to visit South Korea, China and Japan next week, an official statement said.

According to the statement issued by the US Department of State on Wednesday, this will be Blinken's first overseas trip since he assumed office on December 17, 2014.

He will first visit Seoul on February 9-10, where he will discuss US's continued close coordination with South Korea regarding North Korean issues.

Blinken will then travel to Beijing on February 10-12, to discuss ongoing cooperation on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues.

In Tokyo, February 12-14, Blinken will meet senior Japanese government officials to discuss a broad range of issues, and he will also meet the common people who are working to enact social changes in Japan.

He will return to Washington on February 14.

IANS