Kerry to visit China for APEC ministerial meeting next week

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will visit China next week for a ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in the run-up to the annual APEC summit, the State Department said Friday.

Kerry will be in Beijing on Nov. 7-8 for a range of multilateral and bilateral meetings with officials from APEC member countries in advance of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Beijing for the APEC leaders' meeting, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Before Beijing, Kerry will visit Paris on Nov. 4-6 for talks with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. On Nov. 9-10, he will visit Muscat, Oman, for three-way talks with Iran and the European Union on Iran's nuclear program, she said.

Kerry will return to Beijing on Nov. 10 to accompany Obama at the APEC summit, Psaki said.

jschang@yna.co.kr
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