Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns visited Beijing October 27-29 for constructive discussions with senior Chinese officials on a range of important bilateral, regional, and global issues.

Deputy Secretary Burns and Chinese counterparts reviewed priorities for upcoming international meetings, including G20, APEC, and the East Asia Summit, and he underscored the importance of efforts by both the United States and China to promote global economic recovery and balanced growth, and to enhance security, stability, and growth in Asia. They exchanged views on many of the common regional and international challenges our two countries face, including Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, and recent events in the Middle East, and discussed ways in which the two countries can work together.

The two sides also discussed the South China Sea and human rights. Deputy Secretary Burns and his counterparts agreed on the importance to our two countries of maintaining positive bilateral relations, while also addressing ways in which the United States and China could build strategic trust and avoid misunderstandings and misperceptions.

Deputy Secretary Burns was accompanied by National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Daniel Russel and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Kin Moy. He met with State Councilor Dai Bingguo, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Director of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Minister Wang Jiarui, Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun, Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai, and PLA Deputy Chief of the General Staff General Ma Xiaotian.