BEIJING, July 6 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit China from July 9 to 10 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, sources with Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

    China is the first-leg of Rice's four-nation Asian trip throughto July 13 that will also take her to Thailand, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

    During her stay, Rice will meet senior government officials of those countries to discuss political and economic issues of bilateral concern, spokesman for the US Department of State Sean McCormack said in a press statement.

    The nuclear issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,cooperation on fighting terrorism and transnational crimes, and tsunami recovery and recontruction efforts are topics to be discussed between Rice and officials with above-mentioned countries, the statement said.

    This would be Rice's second trip to China in less than four months. Her previous China tour, also her first China visit in the capacity of US secretary of state, was made on March 20. Enditem