China on Tuesday welcomed the United States playing a more constructive role for the peace, stability and development of the Asian-Pacific region.

In response to a question at a Foreign Ministry routine news briefing on how China evaluated U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's week-long Asia tour, ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said: "China heeded Clinton's speech at the Asia Society on the United States' Asian-Pacific policy, which laid stress on engagement with Asian countries so as to initiate a new era of partnership."

Clinton delivered a speech at Asia Society in New York on Feb. 13. In the speech, she quoted a Chinese aphorism to describe the United States' relations with Asian countries: "When you are in a common boat, you need to cross the river peacefully together."

"I hope to signal that we need strong partners across the Pacific, just as we need strong partners across the Atlantic. We are, after all, both a trans-Atlantic and a trans-Pacific power," Clinton said.

China appreciated Clinton's remarks that the United States would remain committed to pursuing a "positive" relationship with China, said Jiang.

Sound Sino-U.S. ties accorded with the interests of both countries and the peoples, and benefited peace and development in the Asian-Pacific region and the world.

"China is ready to make concerted efforts with the United States to enhance dialogue and mutual trust and expand cooperation, so as to push forward the healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations," she said.

Responding to a question on whether human rights issues would be raised during Clinton's China visit, Jiang said China would continue to hold human rights talks with the United States on the basis of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

Jiang said China and the United States had already held many rounds of human rights talks since 1990, which played an active role in increasing mutual understanding, resolving differences as well as expanding consensus.

She also hoped that positive results could come from the Sino-U.S. human rights talks.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2009)