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US Arms Experts to Visit China, Singapore, Tokyo
US officials who visit China this week to resume arms control talks after a year's hiatus will also travel to Singapore and Japan, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Wednesday.
President Bill Clinton's senior adviser on arms control, John Holum, heads a delegation to Beijing on July 7-8 which will try to improve relations overall while deepening the bilateral arms control and non-proliferation dialogue, Boucher said.
After Beijing, Holum will travel to Singapore and Japan, Boucher said. A US official said Holum's party would spend July 9-10 in Singapore and the two days after that in Tokyo.
"In Singapore, he's accepted a long-standing invitation to meet with senior leaders to discuss bilateral relations and regional security topics," Boucher told a news briefing.
"And the purpose of the Tokyo stop will be to debrief the Japanese foreign affairs officials on the talks in Beijing, and to continue with our ongoing consultations with Japan on nonproliferation and arms control issues," he added.
Holum will be accompanied by three assistant secretaries of state -- Avis Bohlen, responsible for arms control, Robert Einhorn, who covers non-proliferation and Eric Newsom of the bureau of political-military affairs.
White House Senior Director for Non-Proliferation Gary Samore and Deputy Assistant Secretary Darryl Johnson, Pentagon representatives and other staff will also join the group.
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