BEIJING, Feb 21: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday the United States and China could help pull the world out of economic crisis by working together and made clear this took precedence over US concerns about human rights in China.

Speaking at a news conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Mrs Clinton said the two would have “frank discussions on issues where we have disagreements, including human rights, Tibet, religious freedom and freedom of expression.”

However, she suggested their joint efforts to spur growth in the face of the global financial crisis, to curb global climate change and to address security challenges like North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme came first.

“World events have given us a full and formidable agenda,” she said, saying she and Mr Yang had wide-ranging talks “that started from a simple premise: it is essential that the United States and China have a positive, cooperative relationship.”

Making her final stop on a week-long Asian trip that has also taken her to Tokyo, Jakarta and Seoul, Mrs Clinton stressed how intertwined are the US and Chinese economies.

The United States is one of the largest buyers of Chinese exports while China, with foreign exchange reserves of about $2 trillion, is the world’s largest holder of US government debt.

“I appreciate greatly the Chinese government’s continuing confidence in United States Treasuries. I think that’s a well grounded confidence,” Mrs Clinton said. “We have every reason to believe that the United States and China will recover and that together we will help to lead the world recovery.”

Asked if China might someday rethink its purchases of US Treasuries, Mr Yang provided little direction, saying only that China made decisions on how to invest its foreign exchange reserves so as to ensure their safety, value and liquidity.

Highlighting the US desire for China to curb greenhouse gas emissions, Mrs Clinton visited a low-emission heat and power plant runs with generators from General Electric Co.

“The United States, and certainly the Obama administration, we want China to grow,” she said after touring the plant. “What we hope is that you won’t make the same mistakes we made ...When we were industrialising ... we didn’t know any better.”

China and the United States are the world’s leading emitters of greenhouse gases and their reaching an accord on limiting emissions is regarded as essential for a global deal.

Mrs Clinton met President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.Mrs Clinton on Friday said Washington would press China on human rights but said this would not `interfere’ with their work on the financial crisis, climate change and security.

Human rights groups argued that her position undermined US leverage with China on rights.

Repeating a long-standing Chinese position, Mr Yang said China was willing to talk to the United States about human rights on the basis of `non-interference’ in each other’s internal affairs. He also suggested US concerns were misplaced.

“Though these days it’s a bit chilly in Beijing ... I have confidence that you will see the biggest number of smiling faces here in China,” he said.—Reuters