U.S. Relations with the People's Republic of China (2006)

U.S. Department of State

Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 4, 2006

U.S. To Hold Senior Dialogue With China and Strategic Consultation for Allied Partnership Talks With Republic of Korea

Next week in Beijing, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns will represent the United States in the third round of the U.S.-China Senior Dialogue – a forum agreed to by Presidents Bush and Hu at the 2004 APEC Meeting and inaugurated in 2005 by former Deputy Secretary Robert Zoellick and Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo. The Senior Dialogue reflects the importance and depth of the U.S.-China relationship, providing a venue to consider the strategic implications of policies in a variety of areas. The goal is to better guide cooperation and also manage differences to support the international system and help it adapt to new challenges.

During the visit, Under Secretary Burns will also hold joint meetings with senior Chinese officials together with Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs Robert Joseph.

Under Secretary Burns will visit Seoul for the first Sub-Ministerial session of the U.S. – R.O.K. Strategic Consultations for Allied Partnership (SCAP). The SCAP dialogue was approved by Presidents Bush and Roh at their November 2005 Summit in South Korea and inaugurated earlier this year at the Ministerial level by Secretary Rice and Foreign Minister Ban. SCAP is designed to address key outstanding issues not only on the Korean Peninsula, but key regional and global matters as well. Some of the topics for these consultations include promoting democratic institutions and respect for human rights; cooperation on regional security, including stabilization and reconstruction; UN reform; and support for peacekeeping and relief efforts around the region and the world.

Under Secretaries Burns and Joseph will also visit Tokyo for strategic consultations with Japan on a range of regional and global issues.

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