Visit 'shows Asia more important' for US now

It is symbolically important that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has chosen to visit Asia before other places after assuming office, Chinese analysts said yesterday.

The move means "the US is entering a new era of cooperation" with Asia, said Pang Zhongying, a professor at Renmin University of China. "For the first time, the superpower is here to listen This is a big shift." Two days before her departure, Clinton told the Asia Society in New York that the US was "ready to listen to Asia".

The global financial crisis, Pang said, is the major reason behind this shift. Among other issues on Clinton's agenda are climate change and clean energy development.