The United States expressed hope on Monday that ties with China will return to normal as quickly as possible.

"We've gone through a bit of a bumpy path here and I think there's an interest, both within the United States and China, to get back to business as usual as quickly as possible," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said at a regular briefing.

"I think this will be an opportunity to refocus on the future," he said, adding that the U.S. side will express its views in a straightforward way to interlocutors from China.

The spokesman made the remarks after Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, accompanied by National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Jeffrey Bader, departed here Monday for a trip to China and Japan.

Crowley said Steinberg and Bader will be in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday, and in Tokyo Thursday and Friday, to discuss "bilateral, regional and global issues."

China-U.S. relations have been in trouble over the past few weeks after President Barack Obama approved new arms sales to Taiwan and met the Dalai Lama in disregard of strong opposition from China.