U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg left Washington on Monday to visit China and Japan, expected to hold talks on international and bilateral issues, the State Department said.

Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley said Steinberg is accompanied by Senior Director for the National Security Council for Asian Affairs Jeffrey Bader. They will be in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In a statement, the State Department said Steinberg and Bader are to "exchange views with Chinese officials on U.S.-China bilateral issues in Beijing."

After visiting China, the duo are to visit Japan, meeting with senior Tokyo officials on Thursday and Friday to discuss "a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global matters." They will return to Washington on Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2010)