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Clinton ends China trip with call to buy more US bonds

Other News Materials 22 February 2009 21:17 (UTC +04:00)

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton ended her trip to China on Sunday with a call for Beijing to invest more in US treasury bonds, warning both countries would "rise or fall together" in the global slump, dpa reported.

In an interview with the Shanghai Dragon TV channel, Clinton said "it would not be in China's interest if we were unable to get our economy moving again."

"We are truly going to rise or fall together. We are in the same boat and thankfully we are rowing in the same direction," Clinton added.

The remarks came at the end of her trip to China, which concluded an intinerary which also saw her visit Japan, South Korea and Indonesia.

On her final day in China, Clinton attended a church service and met a group of prominent Chinese women in Beijing.

  Clinton visited the modern Haidian Church in a western suburb of Beijing before meeting a group of 22 female scholars, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and directors of women's groups, environmental and other grassroot organizations.

  Among the women who met Clinton were retired doctor and award- winning AIDS activist Gao Yaojie, online shopping website founder Peggy Yu, and television presenter Zhang Yue, according to a list provided by US officials.

  Clinton and Chinese leaders on Saturday agreed to hold high-level strategic dialogues on economic, environmental, political and security issues, and vowed to cooperate in helping the world to recover from financial turmoil.

  In a later meeting with President Hu Jintao on Saturday, Clinton said she saw a "new era" in cooperation with China.

  Despite the feel-good diplomacy, Amnesty International and other rights groups said they were "shocked" by Clinton apparently giving a low priority to concerns over China's human rights record.

  A leading Chinese dissident, who was placed under house arrest on Saturday, also urged Clinton not to allow greater cooperation on economic and other issues to reduce the pressure on China to improve human rights.

  "The progress of human rights in China needs efforts from both inside and outside (the country)," Zeng Jinyan told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in a message.

  The China Human Rights Defenders said police placed several other well-known dissidents under house arrest or tighter surveillance before Clinton's visit. 

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