BEIJING ? The United States' top diplomat for Asia is meeting with Chinese officials to discuss North Korea following the death of leader Kim Jong Il and the prospects for resuming talks on North Korean nuclear disarmament and food aid.
Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell held talks Wednesday with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai and was due to meet with other senior officials and Chinese scholars before flying to South Korea later in the day.
Campbell is the most senior U.S. official to visit the region since Kim's death and succession by his youngest son, Kim Jong Un.
Also on the agenda for his Beijing visit are discussions on the Obama administration's warming relations with Myanmar, which has relied heavily on Chinese trade, investment and diplomatic support.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
BEIJING (AP) ? The United States' top diplomat for Asia arrived Tuesday in China on a tour that will also take him to South Korea and Japan to discuss developments in North Korea after the death of Kim Jong Il.
Kurt Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, is visiting the region for discussions on how to restart nuclear and food aid talks with North Korea as well as U.S. rapprochement with Myanmar.
Campbell is the most senior U.S. official to visit the region since Kim's death and succession by his youngest son, Kim Jong Un.
Campbell did not make any comments at the airport after landing in Beijing on Tuesday night. He will also visit Seoul and Tokyo on his Jan. 3-7 trip.
North Korea, which has tested two atomic devices since 2006, said it wants to return to long-stalled six-nation talks on halting its nuclear weapons program in return for aid. Washington and Seoul, however, have insisted that the North first show progress on past disarmament commitments.
The disarmament talks involve the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan.
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