US envoy Burns heading Asia for talks

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will depart on Sunday for a trip to the Republic of Korea, China and Japan, the State Department announced on Thursday night. In Seoul, he will meet with senior government officials to discuss "a broad range of issues that reflect the breadth and depth of our bilateral alliance," the announcement said. "The visit will provide an opportunity to follow up on last month's U.S.-R. O.K. Strategic Dialogue and to continue to coordinate closely on our shared goal of the denuclearization of North Korea." Burns will then travel to Beijing for meetings with senior Chinese officials on bilateral, regional and global issues, the announcement said. He will conclude his travel in Tokyo, where he will meet with senior Japanese officials to discuss regional economic and security issues "and joint U.S.-Japanese cooperation on matters of global concern," it said.