WASHINGTON -- The US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel will pay a visit to Beijing next month, discussing important bilateral issues with senior Chinese officials.

"Assistant Secretary Russel will be in Beijing from September 6-8. In Beijing, the Assistant Secretary will meet senior Chinese officials to discuss a range of issues of importance to the bilateral relationship," The State Department said in a press release.

Before heading to China, Russel will travel to Myanmar.

He will also visit Mongolia for annual bilateral consultations, according to the press release.

Russel will be the second senior US official to visit China recently. US National Security Advisor Susan Rice went to Beijing last week and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials of China.

Rice's visit was seen as a preparation for Xi's visit to the US in September. She told Xi that US President Barack Obama looks forward to continuing in-depth exchanges with him on bilateral relations and international issues of common concern.