Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly would visit China from Jan. 14 to 16, Zhang said at a regular news conference. He would exchange views with Chinese officials on the Sino-US relationship, the nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and other issues of common concern, she added.

Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing would meet with him, Zhang said.

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs John Bolton would arrive here on Jan. 20, the spokeswoman said. Wang Guangya, China's vice-foreign minister, would hold the first round of consultations with him and the two sides would conferred on their strategic security, multilateral arms control and anti-proliferation, she said.

Bolton's visit was arranged according to the consensus reached by the two heads of state last year, when they decided to set up a consultation mechanism at the vice-foreign ministerial level on issues of strategic security, multilateral arms control and anti-proliferation, she said.

The Chinese side held that both China and the United States were countries with great influence in the world, and it was important for them to exchange views on some major current international issues and further improve and develop their bilateral relations.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2003)