Senior U.S. envoy to visit China, South Korea, Japan

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The top U.S. diplomat for East Asian and Pacific affairs will visit China, the Republic of Korea and Japan next week to discuss a range of bilateral, regional and global issues, the State Department said on Friday.

While in Beijing on Sunday, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Joseph Yun will meet with senior government officials to discuss "a wide range of global, regional and bilateral issues," the department said in a statement.

During his stay in Seoul on March 25-27, Yun will "consult and coordinate" with senior government officials on a range of bilateral and regional issues, including measures to strengthen bilateral engagement and deepen cooperation on security and defense.

In Tokyo on March 27, Yun will meet with senior officials to build on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Washington last month and "underscore our continued close coordination with the government of Japan on a full range of bilateral, regional and global issues," the State Department said.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to visit the Republic of Korea, Japan and China next month, his first to Asia after taking office on Feb. 1.