WASHINGTON - The groundwork for President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the United States was laid out by China's visiting Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday after a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"(President Hu's) visit will occur against the ever-evolving international situation and it will happen during the first year of the second decade of this great new century and will happen on the 40th anniversary of the opening of China-US relationship," Yang said at the State Department in Washington.

Yang's role during his US visit was two-fold: He also met with US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon at the White House on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing action to denuclearize the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Stephen Bosworth, US special envoy, is currently in Beijing in the hopes of defusing tension on the Korean Peninsula. He was expected to meet with China's top nuclear negotiator Wu Dawei Thursday.

According to a White House statement, the two "talked about ways to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program ... and avoid destabilizing behavior".

Tension on the peninsula has spiked after an exchange of artillery fire between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in November and threats of war. Four ROK people were killed in the exchange.

US President Barack Obama dropped by in on Yang's visit with Donilon to discuss Hu's upcoming visit later this month.

Obama said he "looked forward to the visit of President Hu and to the US and China working together effectively to address global challenges", according to the White House statement.

"They discussed ways to advance our nonproliferation objectives, including working together to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, to meet its commitments and international obligations and to avoid destabilizing behavior," according to the statement.

Diplomatic relations between the US and China have improved since the US' recent arms sales to Taiwan and the active discussions over the Chinese currency. The summit of the two leaders later this month is expected to set a tone for the relationship in the near future.

Analysts said the two powers will face more challenges this year, especially in trade frictions and regional security issues.

But Yang said the China-US relationship is "on the right track".

"We are confronted with common challenges and we are enjoying common opportunities.

"It is in the best interests of China and the US and the world for us to continue to work better," he said.

Clinton also vowed that the two countries will work closely despite their differences.

"We are preparing diligently for the upcoming state visit by President Hu Jintao," she said. "It's very much anticipated and looked forward to."

To ensure a successful visit, top Chinese and US officials have been working tirelessly and holding more diplomatic exchanges, including US Defense Secretary Robert Gates' trip to China on Jan 9-12.

Yang also met with US Senator Richard Lugar and Representatives Rick Larsen and Charles Boustany Tuesday but it was unclear what they talked about.

China Daily