US, China urged to work closer on regional security

By Xin Zhiming (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-27 23:46

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Washington is “grateful” for Beijing’s leadership in establishing the Six Party Talks and urged closer cooperation between the two countries in pushing regional security.

Security challenge, together with global economic recovery, climate change as well as global development, is a major topic at the two-day Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue meeting in Washington, which opened Monday.

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Clinton said the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s recent “provocations” were a subject of great concern. “China and US both appreciate the dangers of escalating tensions and a prospective arms race in East Asia,” she said at the opening ceremony of the dialogue.

“Already, we have cooperated very closely together,” she said.

She said the two countries will also discuss “nuclear weapons capability of Iran, and explore ways to address violent extremism and promote stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan”.

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Vice Premier Wang Qishan are joined by their co-chairs Clinton and US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner at the meeting.

China is expected to push stability in the value of the dollar to prevent losses from its dollar-denominated assets.

But neither Dai nor Wang mentioned the DPRK issue at the opening ceremony on Monday.