US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left here Monday on a six-nation tour of Asia, her first to the continent since becoming the top US diplomat in January.  (Photo: AFP/Yahoo)

    WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhuanet)-- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left here Monday on a six-nation tour of Asia, her first to the continent since becoming the top US diplomat in January.

    Rice is due to arrive in India on Tuesday and go on from there to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Japan, South Korea and China during the week-long tour.

    The nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), US-China relations, the rapprochement between Indian and Pakistan and situation in the disputed region of Kashmir are expected to top the agenda during her March 14-21 tour.

    Rice will review with Asian leaders American diplomatic effortsfor resuming the six-party talks, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said last week.

    The six-party talks, involving China, DPRK, the United States, South Korea, Russia and Japan, began in August 2003. Three rounds of such talks have been held in Beijing.

    Pyongyang refused to attend the fourth round scheduled for lastSeptember, citing hostile US policy toward it. Enditem