U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit Japan as soon as early July, his first trip to the country since taking office in January, people familiar with relations between the two countries said Monday.
Rubio is likely to visit Japan and South Korea before or after he attends a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Malaysia in July, the people said.
During his visit to Japan, he is likely to meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to discuss China's aggressive maritime activity and military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
U.S.-Japan trade negotiations may also be on the agenda, depending on progress toward a July 9 deadline.
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