US SECRETARY of state Hillary Clinton arrived in China yesterday for the most difficult leg of her inaugural trip as America’s top diplomat. While analysts agreed the visit was unlikely to result in any major agreements, it is seen as an opportunity to lay foundations for closer relations, and to discuss ways to bail out the world economy.
Mrs Clinton has been outspoken on every leg of her Asian tour so far, to the point of suggesting regime change in North Korea.
During the week-long tour that earlier took her to Tokyo, Jakarta and Seoul, she said she hoped to sound out the Chinese leadership on what more it may do to push North Korea to abandon its nuclear programmes.
However, with Beijing recognised as a major challenge, she is keeping her cards close to her chest.
Mrs Clinton has been critical of China’s human rights record, but has been much more pragmatic in the run-up to this visit, and has said nothing about Tibet and Taiwan in recent weeks.
The environment is likely to feature prominently in the talks as neither nation has ratified the Kyoto Protocol and can find common ground outside that agreement.
The Chinese say the global financial crisis will not affect its resolve to tackle global warming and it is an area where the two countries can most easily find agreement. Luo Yong, director-general of the Centre for Climate Change of the China Meteorological Administration, told the state-run Xinhua news agency that the two countries suffer intense severe weather events frequently.
Therefore, “the common need to combat climate change can bring about further co-operation”.
Although both sides are likely to find common points on broader issues, there will be friction over religion.
After she meets President Hu and other top officials at the weekend, Mrs Clinton wants to attend church on Sunday morning, an act that she described as personal, but which she suggested could be taken as political. Previous experiences suggest it will be a political action.
China has about 40 million active Christians with their numbers evenly divided between state-run and underground churches, including some in people’s homes.
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