U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab will visit three countries in Asia next week, her office announced.

Schwab will stop in Singapore on Aug. 22-23, and then will attend the 38th Economic Ministers' Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Aug. 23-26. She will travel on to China Aug. 27-29, her first visit to that country while serving in her current position.

While in Singapore, Schwab will meet with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss results of the bilateral U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in 2004, and to talk about regional economic and trade issues.

"ASEAN is one of the most rapidly growing and dynamic regions in the world and a commercially and strategically significant U.S. partner," Schwab said in a statement. "We view intensifying relations with Southeast Asia as a top priority."

The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

During the ASEAN meeting, Schwab plans to discuss with ministers from the ASEAN countries and other participants, including Australia, New Zealand, India, Korea and Japan, ways to revive the stalled Doha Round of negotiations of the World Trade Organization.

The U.S. "remains committed to achieving an ambitious market-opening outcome" to the multilateral trade talks to encourage global economic growth, the USTR's office said.

In Kuala Lumpur, Schwab also will meet with Malaysian officials and involved parties to discuss negotiations on the bilateral U.S.-Malaysia FTA. The two sides have already concluded two rounds of negotiations, making progress toward their goal of reaching a mutually beneficial agreement by the end of the year, according to the USTR's office. A third round of negotiations is scheduled to open in Malaysia during the week of Sept.18.

On her debut visit to China as trade representative, Schwab is scheduled to meet with Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai to discuss China's role in helping to restart the WTO Doha Round negotiations and to urge more progress by China on issues related to its WTO accession commitments, such as strengthening enforcement of intellectual property rights and increasing access for American goods and services.