BEIJING : Diplomatic Moves

Assistant Secretary of State Winston Lord is making a swing though Asia this week, with stops in Beijing and Tokyo, among others.

In China, he is focusing on human rights, trade and arms-export policies with an eye toward seeing if Washington and Beijing can work out some common approach for a renewal of China’s most-favored-nation trade benefits. Lord hopes to obtain enough new commitments from China to forestall congressional action to impose conditions on the renewal.

He is also expected to discuss the dispute over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and its attempt to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

On Wednesday, Lord leaves for a day of talks in Japan and for conferences in Southeast Asia on regional security.