Politics. On Point.

Vice President Joe Biden has departed for Beijing, China, the first stop on a nine-day trip to China, Mongolia, and Japan. In each country, the Vice President will meet with key leaders to discuss the full range of bilateral, regional, and international issues.  The Vice President is visiting China at the invitation of Vice President Xi Jinping – the first of the planned reciprocal visits between the Vice Presidents announced by President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao during his state visit to Washington earlier this year.  While in Beijing, the Vice President will meet with Vice President Xi and other Chinese leaders, including President Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao.  The Vice President will also visit the city of Chengdu, in China’s Southwest.  On Sunday, August 21st at 10:30 AM LOCAL TIME/Saturday, August 20th at 10:30 PM ET, the Vice President will deliver a speech on U.S.-China relations at Sichuan University. In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the Vice Presiden...

Pool report from Politico's Abby Phillip. Vice President Joe Biden arrived at the Japanese Embassy in Washington at 11:14 am for an unannounced visit.   Biden was greeted at the door by Japan's Ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki and other embassy personnel. He signed the book of condolences in the Old Residence of the Embassy at a small table in the center of the room next to a single Japanese flag. The book is the same one President Obama signed when he visited last week. The room is otherwise empty save for a handful of flower bouquets and cards delivered to the embassy from a group of local children. One reads "There is hope," and others have hand drawn images of flowers. Biden sat writing his message at the table for three minutes before getting to inspect the cards. He picked up one that read “We are thinking of you.” “Mr. Vice President, this is from a nearby school,” Fujisaki told Biden as he inspected the flowers and cards. Biden turned to th...