US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is to travel to Vietnam, Cambodia and Hong Kong for talks with his counterparts, the State Department said Wednesday. The September 10-18 visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's top lieutenant to the region is "for discussions with his counterparts on a broad range of bilateral and global issues", the department said in a statement.  No specific topics were identified. Negroponte's trip "is an opportunity to deepen our engagement in a region that is growing in peace, prosperity and freedom", the statement said, citing strong ties with and enduring US interests in Asia.