Washington invited the presidents of China and Japan, along with other leaders of several Asian countries for state visits in 2015, US National Security Advisor Susan Rice announced at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, RIA Novosti reported.
"I am pleased to announce today that we have invited Prime Minister [Shinzo] Abe of Japan and President Xi Jinping of China for state visits," Rice said on Friday. "And we look forward to welcoming other Asian leaders to the White House this year, including President Park [Geun-hye] of South Korea and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia."
Rice, who was giving a speech on 2015 National Security Strategy, said that as the United States updates its existing international strategy aimed to enhance the focus on regions that "will shape the century ahead, starting with the Asia Pacific," by deepening long standing alliances and forging new partnerships to expand cooperation.