High-level US diplomat to visit China

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will visit China next week as part of a larger Asia trip, the State Department says, marking the highest-level visit by a US official to China in months.

Sherman, the State Department's second-ranked official, will meet with officials including State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as the two sides navigate a deeply troubled bilateral relationship.

Sherman's visit had been anticipated in foreign policy circles, and could help set the stage for additional exchanges and a potential meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping this year, possibly on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Italy in late October.

"These discussions are part of ongoing US efforts to hold candid exchanges with PRC officials to advance US interests and values and to responsibly manage the relationship," the State Department said in a statement.

"The Deputy Secretary will discuss areas where we have serious concerns about PRC actions, as well as areas where our interests align."