U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Japan

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-17-2009 09:10

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, arrived in Tokyo on Monday night. It's is the first leg of her inaugural trip abroad as President Barack Obama's chief diplomat.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, is welcomed by protocol officers upon her arrival at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Feb. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Clinton is due to meet with Japanese leaders during her visit.

They are set to discuss various issues such as the strengthening of the Japan-US alliance and the ongoing financial crisis, as well as issues concerning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Middle East.

The top US diplomat and her Japanese counterpart, Hirofumi Nakasone, are expected to sign a new accord Tuesday on the planned relocation of 8-thousand US Marines from Okinawa to Guam.

A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said they will discuss bilateral relations and matters concerning the Asia Pacific region.

The official said other topics include global issues such as the financial crisis, climate change, the peace process in the Middle East, UN reform and possibly the issue of pirates off Somalia's coast.

The secretary of state is scheduled to conclude this first leg of her four-nation Asian tour on Wednesday and she will then travel to Indonesia, South Korea and China.