The Foreign Ministry¹ yesterday confirmed both sides were "working closely" on a visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to China, amid expectations of a buildup to a new level in bilateral² ties.

"Maintaining high-level visits between China and the United States is of great importance to promoting bilateral ties. As for Hillary Clinton's visit to China, the two sides are keeping close contact on that," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a news briefing.

US media agencies had quoted diplomats³ as saying that the former US first lady, 61, would pick Japan, South Korea, China and probably Indonesia as destinations of her first trip abroad after becoming secretary of state.

If confirmed, the visit to China is likely to be scheduled around the middle of this month and will be "the most important buildup" to the first meeting of President Hu Jintao and his US counterpart Barack Obama during the G20 summit in London on April 2, international relations analysts⁴ said.

A ranking US State Department official recently told Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun that the Obama administration wants to upgrade bilateral strategic economic dialogues with China through an exchange of visits by US Vice-President Joe Biden and Premier⁵ Wen Jiabao.

Former US treasury⁶ secretary Henry Paulson and two vice-premiers from China had led the previous six editions of the strategic dialogue held during the Bush administration.

More political and security issues will be included in a comprehensive strategic dialogue, the Japanese newspaper reported.

"It is crucial how the new administration will lift bilateral ties to new levels," Fu Mengzi, assistant president of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told China Daily yesterday.

"Though differences and disputes remain, high-level dialogues have already become a mature and effective way for issue-solving between the two powers," said Zhu Feng, a Peking University regional specialist on East Asia.

"We appreciate the attitude that the US side is devoting to develop a more active and constructive⁷ relationship with China," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said yesterday.

Questions:

1. Which four countries is Hillary Clinton likely to visit soon?

2. What is the Obama administration hoping to do with Sino-US relations?

3. When will President Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama meet for the first time?

Answers:

1. Japan, South Korea, China and Indonesia.

2. Lift bilateral ties to new levels to include more political and security issues.

3. At the G20 summit in London on April 2.