China is ready to host U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whowill be making her first trip to Beijing in her new position. Secretary Clinton arrives in the Chinese capital, Friday.
Mrs. Clinton chose to highlight climate change, among other issues,on her trip to Asia this week. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswomanJiang Yu said Thursday that China attaches great importance to theissue and hopes to strengthen Sino-American cooperation in addressingclimate change.
Jiang says, despite the financial crisis, Chinaalready developed a national program against climate change and willcontinue to make unremitting efforts in this area.
She also saysChina looks forward to progress at global climate treaty talks,scheduled for the end of the year in Copenhagen. China has passed theUnited States to become the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases.
Althoughclimate change is a likely topic of discussion for Clinton's Beijingvisit, many China analysts say her trip will be judged more on tonethan actual content. Chinese officials are hoping relations willcontinue in the non-confrontational spirit of the George W. Bushadministration.
Clinton, herself, has advocated a "positiveand cooperative" relationship with Beijing. In a speech at the AsiaSociety in New York, last weekend, she said Washington has a very broadagenda when it comes to China.
One topic likely to be addressedduring her visit is Taiwan. China views cross-straits relations as oneof the most important aspects of U.S.-China ties. Spokeswoman Jiangsays Beijing hopes the United States will stay committed to the OneChina principle.
The undecided fate of 17 Uighur detainees, whowere cleared for release from Guantanamo Bay, may also be raised inSecretary Clinton's talks with her Chinese counterparts. AlthoughBeijing wants the men to be returned for trial, the United States hasnot agreed to send them to China, fearing they may be persecuted.
SpokeswomanJiang says China wants the men to be prosecuted in China, because theyare members of the East Turkestan terrorist organization, which is on asanction list of the U.N. Security Council.
Jiang says China is against any country accepting the Chinese Muslim detainees.
Someof the 17 Uighur detainees were cleared for release as early as 2003,but have continued to be held because no other country agreed to takethem. Wednesday, a U.S. appeals court in Washington overturned aruling that would have released the men into the United States.
In 2006, Albania accepted five other Uighur men who were released from Guantanamo Bay.