Clinton in Beijing for border disputes

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to China will concentrate on border issues between Asian countries, U.S. and Chinese officials said. Talks Tuesday and Wednesday are set to center on China's dispute with Japan over potentially oil- and gas-rich islands in the South China Sea, and with the Philippines over a cluster of reefs the Chinese have effectively blockaded from fishermen, The New York Times reported Monday. The visit is part of Clinton's 10-day, six-nation trip through Asia's Pacific Rim. "We need the nations of the region to work collaboratively together to resolve disputes, without coercion, without intimidating, without threats and certainly without the use of force," she said Monday after arriving in Jakarta, Indonesia. Clinton was in Jakarta to discuss the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership, which began in 2007, the secretary's office said in a release. The Comprehensive Partnership includes issues and actions on regional and global cooperation; economy; trade and investment; education; development; climate, environment and energy; defense and security; and rule of law and law enforcement, the release said. Speaking Monday in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Clinton pointed out, "The United States welcomes cooperation with a number of partners, including Japan, the European Union, China and others. The Pacific is big enough for all of us."