Clinton urges U.S.-China co-operation on clean technology

U.S. Secretary of State HillaryClinton pressed senior Chinese officialsSaturday to co-operate on a number of issues, including the environment,the world financial crisis andsecurity threats.

After a meeting with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Clinton spoke of a new partnership between the U.S. and China to reduce carbon emissions, a tallorder since the United States isthe biggest energy consumer in the world.

China could be the biggest by next year, according to the International Energy Agency.

"The United States and China will build an important partnership to develop and deploy clean energy technologies designed to speed our transformation to low-carbon economies," Clinton said in Beijing.

"Areas for useful co-operation include renewable energy, the capture and storage of CO2 from coal plants and energy efficiency in our buildings," she added.

Earlier, she met withChinese President Hu Jintao and saidthey had agreed"in principle to a strategic and economic dialogue" between the United States and China,one she hoped would be formally announced by Hu and U.S. President Barack Obama.

Shortly before arriving in Beijing, Clinton saidthe debate with China over human rights and itspolicies onTaiwan and Tibet should not overshadowattempts to reach a consensus on broaderissues.

'World events have given us a full and formidable agenda.' U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

"Our pressing on thoseissuescan't interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crises," she said.

"We have to have a dialogue that leads to an understanding and co-operation on each of those. World events have given us a full and formidable agenda."

Frank talk predicted

Clinton later told reporters she andChina's foreign ministerwould have "frank discussions on issues where we have disagreements, including human rights, Tibet, religious freedom and freedom of expression."

The secretary of statesaid plans are in the workstoexpandhigh-level talks between the U.S. and China oneconomic issues to includesecurity matters.

Details of the dialogue are to be settledby the presidents of the two countrieswhen they meet at an economic summit in London inearly April, Clinton said.

Along with co-operating on the financial crisis and climate change, the United States wants China to step up efforts to address threats like nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea and tenuous security situations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In addition, Clinton said the U.S. would like to see China play a positive role in Myanmar and Sudan, two countries thatreceive large Chinese investments but whose governments are at odds with Washington.

Clinton saidshe appreciates the Chinese government's "continuing confidence" in U.S. treasury bonds, adding she thinks it's a "well-grounded confidence."

"We have every reason to believe that the United States and China will recover and that together we will help to lead the world recovery," she said.

China has $1.95 trillionUS worth of foreign exchange reserves and is the world's largest holder of U.S. government debt.

Beijing is the laststop on Clinton's first overseas tripas secretary of state. The week-long tour hasincluded visitsto Japan, Indonesia and South Korea.