Kerry to visit China, South Korea

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State John Kerry will visit China and the Republic of Korea in the coming days to discuss a range of issues, including their presidents' upcoming visits to the United States, the State Department said Monday.

During his stay in Beijing on May 16-17, the top American envoy will meet with senior Chinese leaders to "advance US priorities" ahead of a new round of Strategic and Economic Dialogue with China and discuss President Xi Jinping's state visit in the fall, the agency said in a statement.

The next round of the dialogue, a mechanism created in 2009 to help the US and China to manage their bilateral relations and promote communication, is to be held in the US in June, while President Xi's visit is slated for September.

While in Seoul on May 17-18, Kerry will meet with President Park Geun-hye and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to discuss "a range of global, regional and bilateral issues," including President Park's upcoming visit to the US, the State Department said.