President Barack Obama will visit China later this year for talks likely to focus on the global economy, North Korea and climate change, the United States ambassador to Beijing said today.
Washington's new envoy to Beijing, Jon Huntsman Jr, told reporters Mr Obama "is going to be visiting in the middle of November", but he did not give specific dates.
Until now, neither Beijing nor Washington has publicly given such a firm time for the big visit.
It means Mr Obama is likely to go to Beijing and perhaps other regional capitals after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit in Singapore on November 14th and 15th.
Mr Huntsman, speaking at his residence after arriving in the Chinese capital, said relations between the two economic and political powers were improving.
"By the end of the year, we should be in better shape than ever before between the United States and China," he said, in a speech that switched between English and fluent Mandarin Chinese.
But Mr Obama's summit with President Hu Jintao will also confront thorny differences with Beijing on trade and economic policy, North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions, and climate change policy, with nations seeking to agree in December on a new international pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
China has chided Washington for policy failings exposed by the financial meltdown, has resisted US calls to pressure Pyongyang with tougher sanctions, and said rich countries must lead the way in greenhouse gas emissions cuts.
"There has never been a more important period for the United States and China to get along," said Mr Huntsman. "The world today more than ever before relies too much on a healthy and stable US-China relationship."
With his strong personal ties to China and fluent Mandarin, Mr Huntsman is likely to be a high-profile envoy. He mastered Chinese as a missionary in Taiwan. He was the Republican governor of Utah before accepting the ambassadorship, and also worked as a US trade official.
Mr Huntsman's family founded chemical company Huntsman Corp, which has operations in China, including a factory in Shanghai. One of his seven children was adopted from China.
Reuters