AFP：Tibet, Navy ship loom over US-China talks

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Tibet, Navy ship loom over US-China talks
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5glKNybE6_N_AdWE_Jijk-xD3AJPw

22 hours ago


Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, answers a question at a press conference


US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton upon her arrival at the Foreign Ministry in Ankara

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Chinese anger over US stands on Tibet and naval rights loomed Wednesday over high-level US-China meetings aimed at tackling the global financial crisis and growing tensions with North Korea.

Following her visit to Beijing last month, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was to begin talks at 12:30 pm with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi who was also due to meet later with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

But the State Department played down the risk to ties from a new US-Chinese row over human rights in Tibet and a standoff between a US Navy surveillance ship and Chinese patrol boats in the South China Sea.

In the first such encounters since President Barack Obama was inaugurated in January, the trio were to focus on drafting proposals for the G20 summit next month in London where Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao are to meet for the first time amid efforts to solve the international credit crunch.

State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said Clinton and Yang would also likely discuss North Korea's threats to launch a missile as well as its defiance over its nuclear program.

He also expected the recent disputes over Tibet and US Navy maneuvers to come up, but denied it would distract from the main goals of the meetings here.

"From time to time, there are going to be elements that come up that cause some tension," Wood told reporters.
"But the most important thing is that the US and China need to work together to solve a whole host of issues that the international community confronts," he said.

A State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Clinton would "forcefully" present the US view on the naval standoff in her meeting with Yang.

However, he denied there would be any friction between Clinton and Yang.

"I don't expect any increased tension in the room," the official told reporters.

China's defense ministry Wednesday urged the United States to respect its security following a standoff near its south coast, state media reported, amid warnings from Beijing about future ties.

Earlier in the day, China had also expressed anger over US criticism of Beijing's handling of Tibet and warned that such statements from Washington could harm bilateral military relations just as they seemed to be warming.

"We urge the United States to respect our legal interests and security concern," ministry spokesman Huang Xueping was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency in relation to Sunday's naval incident.

Xinhua's report said China wanted to make sure the US did not again carry out "activities in China's special economic zone in the South China Sea."

The spat between Washington and Beijing, which has seen numerous claims and counter-claims in the past few days, began after the Pentagon said Chinese vessels had harassed a US Navy ship in international waters.

The Pentagon said the incident saw Chinese boats move directly in front of the Impeccable, forcing it to take emergency action to avoid a collision, and then dropped pieces of wood into its path.

Beijing hit back on Tuesday rejecting that account and demanding the United States cease what it called illegal activities in the South China Sea.

Chinese military chiefs believe the US Navy ship was on a spying mission, state media reported on Wednesday.
The ongoing dispute added a new dimension to fragile military relations between the world powers, which had enjoyed a brief period of slight optimism after the two held defense talks in Beijing last month.

Added to the pressure on ties is the question of Tibet, where the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule was marked Tuesday with a harsh security clampdown to prevent any protests.

The State Department marked the occasion with a statement urging China to reconsider its policies and pursue dialogue with the Dalai Lama, voicing "deep concern" about human rights in the region 50 years after an uprising.

Wood had told a briefing on Tuesday that the statement would be in Clinton's name.

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【AFP】西藏，海军船事件出现在美中会谈里
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