U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will make a whirlwind tour of Asian capitals, including Tokyo and Beijing, later this month, a State Department spokesman said Monday.
Armitage will visit Tokyo on Aug. 27 and 28 for "strategic dialogue talks" with Vice Foreign Minister Yukio Takeuchi, Philip Reeker said.
The talks were agreed to by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during their summit in June last year, when they confirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan security alliance and agreed to strengthen their strategic dialogue.
Armitage will begin his Asia tour in Colombo on Aug. 22, a followup to a visit to Washington last month by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.