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US-China tensions hang over talks US and China 'vow to avoid rows'
(about 7 hours later)
Disputes over an incident at sea and the issue of Tibet are threatening to overshadow talks in Washington between top US and Chinese diplomats. The US and China will work together to avoid more confrontations in the future, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told reporters.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets counterpart Yang Jiechi later for talks aimed at paving the way for a presidential meeting next month. She was speaking after meeting China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi - but the dispute over a weekend confrontation in the South China Sea is rumbling on.
But a confrontation at the weekend in the South China Sea has caused both sides to issue complaints. Meanwhile, Mrs Clinton warned North Korea could face "a range of options" if it goes ahead with a missile test.
Beijing has also criticised a US statement on the issue of Tibet. Mr Yang is in Washington, and will meet US President Barack Obama on Thursday.
The two foreign ministers are to have lunch in the US capital, and Mr Yang will also meet Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. "We have each stated our positions, but the important point of agreement coming out of my discussions with Minister Yang is that we must work hard in the future to avoid such incidents and to avoid this particular incident having consequences that are unforeseen," Mrs Clinton told reporters after her meeting with Mr Yang.
Correspondents say Mrs Clinton and Mr Yang will try to tone down the disputes and build on the goodwill from Mrs Clinton's recent visit to Beijing. class="bodl" href="#map"> See map showing rival claims in the South China Sea
'Criminal record' She said his visit was a "very positive" development and that she looked forward to building a "positive, co-operative and comprehensive relationship".
Ahead of the talks, China heaped criticism on the US after Sunday's maritime incident. name="goback"> SOUTH CHINA SEA TENSIONS Territorial claims from China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia overlap in resource-rich seaHosts some of the world's busiest shipping lanesChina says the US was in its Exclusive Economic Zone - but the two sides disagree on what activities are allowed in an EEZ Earlier, Mr Yang said he was in Washington "to get prepared for our two heads of state's meeting in London [for a G20 summit in April] and to work together to push our relations forward", according to China's official news agency Xinhua - but he made no reported mention of the maritime dispute.
The Pentagon said five Chinese ships harassed an unarmed US navy surveillance vessel in a dangerous manner while it was on routine operations in international waters 75 miles (120km) south of Hainan island. class="bodl" href="#map"> See map showing rival claims in the South China Sea Despite the warm words, the dispute over the incident remains unresolved.
But China called the US complaint "totally inaccurate" and accused it of breaking international law by operating in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). SOUTH CHINA SEA TENSIONS Territorial claims from China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia overlap in resource-rich seaHosts some of the world's busiest shipping lanesChina says the US was in its Exclusive Economic Zone - but the two sides disagree on what activities are allowed in an EEZ The Pentagon says five Chinese ships harassed an unarmed US navy surveillance vessel in a dangerous manner while it was on routine operations in international waters 75 miles (120km) south of Hainan island.
But China called the US complaint "totally inaccurate" and accused it of breaking international law by operating in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The US ship had behaved "like a spy" and China's action was "totally within our rights", state media quoted senior naval officials as saying.The US ship had behaved "like a spy" and China's action was "totally within our rights", state media quoted senior naval officials as saying.
"What was the ship doing? Anyone with eyes can see and our navy can see even more clearly," the China Daily quoted Vice Admiral Jin Mao, former vice-commander of the navy, as saying.
"It's like a man with a criminal record wandering just outside the gate of a family home. When the host comes out to find out what he is doing there, the man complains that the host had violated his rights."
The boundaries of China's EEZ remain disputed, while Beijing and Washington differ on which activities are permitted by law within a nation's EEZ. China has a key submarine base on Hainan island.The boundaries of China's EEZ remain disputed, while Beijing and Washington differ on which activities are permitted by law within a nation's EEZ. China has a key submarine base on Hainan island.
There are also tensions over Tibet, in the wake of Tuesday's 50th anniversary of the uprising in Lhasa that forced the Dalai Lama into exile. North Korea
In a statement, the US State Department said it was "deeply concerned" about the human rights situation in Tibet. Speaking to reporters, Mrs Clinton also warned that Washington had "a range of options" it could take if North Korea goes ahead with a widely anticipated long-range missile test - including, Reuters reported, action in the UN Security Council.
"We urge China to reconsider its policies in Tibet that have created tensions due to their harmful impact on Tibetan religion, culture, and livelihoods." She said the six-way talks on North Korea's nuclear programme would not be affected.
China said that the US had confused the facts. Mrs Clinton also expressed disappointment that a US special envoy who's just visited the region was not invited to Pyongyang.
The US had "wrongly accused China for no reason with its gross interference in Chinese internal affairs," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement. North Korea insists it is preparing to launch a satellite, not a missile, and has said any attempt to shoot it down will result in war.
North Korea's nuclear programme, the global recession and the threat of climate change are among the issues likely to be covered in the US-Chinese talks.
Mr Yang was also due to meet Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday, followed by President Obama on Thursday.
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