U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2009)

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
October 7, 2009

PRESS BRIEFING BY PRESS SECRETARY ROBERT GIBBS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:26 P.M. EDT

MR. GIBBS: One quick series of announcements before we get going. I want to walk you through just a scheduling thing for the middle of November.

The President, as you know, will be traveling to Asia next month to strengthen our cooperation with this vital part of the world on a range of issues of mutual interest. The President will begin his trip in Tokyo, Japan, on November 12th and 13th. We leave here on the 11th.

The President's visit will provide an opportunity to deepen coordination with this key ally on a range of economic, security and other issues. The President will meet for a second time with the Japanese Prime Minister.

The President will travel from Japan to Singapore for the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation -- APEC -- meeting from November 13th to 15th. APEC is an important forum that brings together the economies of the Pacific Rim, and Singapore is an important partner on a range of regional and global issues. He will meet with leaders from the APEC member economies and business leaders from the Asian Pacific region. We'll also take the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from Singapore and other partners. The President will hold his first-ever meeting between a U.S. President and leaders of the 10 Southeast Asian nations that make up the ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The President will then travel to China where he will visit Beijing and Shanghai from November 15th through the 18th. The President will hold his third bilateral meeting with President Hu Jintao to discuss ways to address challenges and expand cooperation on key bilateral regional and global issues, including security, nonproliferation, energy and climate change.

Finally, the President will visit Seoul, South Korea on November 18th through the 19th. This visit will provide an opportunity to hold his third bilateral meeting with President Lee and consult on North Korea to coordinate on a range of regional and global issues and to further strengthen the U.S.-Korean alliance. The President also looks forward to meeting with U.S. servicemen and women stationed in Korea.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

END
3:09 P.M. EDT