China says looking forward to working with Clinton
HONG KONG (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it had congratulated Hillary Clinton on her selection to be U.S. secretary of state, joining world leaders in welcoming her to the position.
U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said Clinton was his choice for the post when he announced his national security team on Monday.
"We are looking forward to working with her," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said at the 2008 Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Hong Kong.
Clinton has said the U.S. relationship with China will be the most important bilateral relationship in the world this century.
Noting China's support was crucial in striking a multilateral deal to disable North Korea's nuclear facilities, she has said: "We should build on this framework to establish a northeast Asian security team."
Yang was in Hong Kong for the two-day conference that brings together Asian political and business leaders, celebrities and humanitarians to address the region's problems in education, energy and climate change, and public health.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton agreed to make public the names of more than 200,000 donors to his foundation as part of a deal with Obama to clear the way for his wife's nomination as secretary of state and avoid any appearance of conflict of interest with her duties.
(Reporting by Susan Fenton; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree and Nick Macfie)
