Clinton said the United States and China had a better chance this weekend of tackling the world's current hot-button issues than bridging their long-standing differences on human rights, including China's attitude to Tibet.

"Successive administrations and Chinese governments have been poised back and forth on these (rights) issues and we have to continue to press them," Clinton told reporters in Seoul just before leaving for Beijing.

"But our pressing on those issues can't interfere on the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis."

Clinton was set for talks with President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during a hectic day of diplomacy on Saturday.

She said it was not yet known how the two sides would engage on the economic crisis, climate change and security issues such as extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"We have to have a dialogue that leads to an understanding and cooperation on each of those," Clinton said.

"So if we talk more about those, it's in large measure because that's where the opportunity for engagement is.

"And that doesn't mean that we have any lesser concern about the need for China to be more willing to recognise and protect human rights of people."

Rights groups rounded on Clinton's comments, saying the US had a duty to hold China to account.

T. Kumar of Amnesty International USA said the global rights lobby was "shocked and extremely disappointed" by Clinton's remarks.

"The United States is one of the only countries that can meaningfully stand up to China on human rights issues," he said.

"But by commenting that human rights will not interfere with other priorities, Secretary Clinton damages future US initiatives to protect those rights in China," he said.

North Korea is also set to be in focus after Clinton issued a warning to the isolated regime's leaders to stop being provocative and not to go ahead with a threatened missile launch.

China, regarded as North Korea's closest ally, is host of the six-nation talks that also involve the United States and are aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

China and the United States have traded some barbs in recent weeks on trade issues, highlighting the inevitable tensions between the world's biggest and third biggest economies.

US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner accused China of manipulating its currency to gain a trade advantage while Chinese officials warned of rising US trade protectionism.

But Clinton struck a conciliatory note before she began her journey to Asia and she continued Friday to emphasise the need to work together to combat the global economic crisis rather than bicker.

"The way I am looking at China, and anticipating our talks there over the next two days, is that the (economic) rise of China is not, in and of itself, threatening to the United States," Clinton said in an interview with CNN.

"It's how China decides to act with whatever assets it has. But that's up to how we cooperate together."

There have been signs of an increasing willingness to engage in other fields, such as the announcement this week that the two nations would resume their on-off military dialogue in Beijing shortly after Clinton leaves.

China also said this week it wanted to work more closely on tackling climate change.

"Strengthening cooperation on climate change is in the interest of the two countries," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Thursday.

Aside from meeting the Chinese leadership on Saturday, Clinton will visit a General Electric power plant that runs on natural gas to highlight potential co-operation on clean energy.

On Sunday she will attend a church service and meet civil society leaders before flying home.

Clinton began her Asian sojourn, her first overseas trip as secretary of state, in Japan on Monday, then visited Indonesia and South Korea.

earlier related report
China dissidents urge US to keep up rights pressure
Chinese dissidents voiced regret Sunday over a perceived softer US stance on Beijing's human rights record and urged Washington to keep the issue on the agenda, even if only behind closed doors.

Visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought to focus on global economic woes and climate change during talks here this weekend with Chinese leaders, saying human rights should take a back seat to those vital matters.

But the issue emerged nonetheless, as dissidents reported being harassed or intimidated by Chinese authorities in a bid to stop them speaking out or meeting Clinton during her visit, which ended on Sunday.

"Chinese human rights defenders and civil society will suffer even more if the international community does not pay enough attention and (place) enough pressure on China," said Zeng Jinyan, one of China's best-known dissidents.

Zeng, who is married to jailed activist Hu Jia, has been confined to her home by police since Clinton's arrival late Friday, and is one of several dissidents who said the harassment continued on Sunday as Clinton headed home.

The whereabouts of several other rights advocates remained unclear, as they could not immediately be reached by telephone.

Clinton said last week that issues like human rights obviously remained US concerns.

"But our pressing on those issues can't interfere on the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis," the new US secretary of state told reporters in Seoul Friday, before leaving for Beijing.

The comment provoked sharp protests from rights groups, with Amnesty International saying it was "shocked and extremely disappointed."

But dissidents in China said they understood the US stance and expresssed hope that a closer relationship between Washington and Beijing could yield fruit on the rights issue behind closed doors.

"We understand that the US faces difficulties and has its own considerations to take into account in dealing with China," said dissident writer Jiang Qisheng.

Jiang also has been confined to his home since Friday by police who told him not to try to meet with Clinton.

He however said he remained optimistic that the United States would continue to keep some sort of pressure on China in private.

"I suspect that in private, Clinton was more forceful" with Chinese leaders on the issue, he said.

"When speaking in public, she will naturally watch her words to allow Chinese authorities to maintain face."

Clinton told reporters on Saturday that she had discussed human rights with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, with the two sides basically agreeing to disagree.

"I have said the promotion of human rights is an essential aspect of US global foreign policy," she said.

Chinese dissidents said their community was well aware that China's evolution into a democratic society that respects civil liberties would be a slow one that ultimately must be done from within its own borders.

However, they added that outside pressure also was essential and urged the United States not to let it fall too far down the list of priorities.

"Human rights should be in the third spot in the relations between the two countries," said dissident Gao Hongming, also confined to his home since Friday, who listed security issues and the economy in the one and two spots.

"If it's not in the third spot, but in the fourth or the fifth, that's not so good."

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