U.S. and Australia urge China to grow positively

SYDNEY, Mar 16: China needs to accept the global responsibilities that come with its emergence as an Asia-Pacific power, and be more transparent about a build-up of its military, the United States and Australia said today.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who met with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in Sydney, said it was important to ensure that China's growing influence in international politics was positive.

Rice urged Beijing to be more open with its people and the world about the country's economy and a build-up of its 2.3 million-strong People's Liberation Army, which is the world's largest standing military force.

''I heard that there is going to be a 14 per cent increase in the Chinese defence budget -- that's a lot. China should undertake to be transparent about what that means,'' Rice told a joint news conference with Downer.

Rice said she was concerned about China's transition, but that Washington planned to encourage positive trends in China's development and work closely with Beijing on global issues.

''The growth of the Chinese economy, if it's done in a rules-based way, in which China is fully obeying the rules of the global economy, is a very positive development for international growth and for the United States,'' Rice said.

But while Rice has expressed concern that China could become a ''negative force'', Australia sees it as more of an economic opportunity and has been struggling to balance ties with two of its largest trading partners.

FREEDOM FIGHT

The rise of China will be the focus of top-level security talks between Australia, the United States and Japan on Saturday, but Downer said that Australia did not believe Washington was pursuing a policy of containing the Asian giant.

''China, as it's a growing power, as it's an emerging power in the region, is a country that needs to understand that brings a level of responsibilities,'' Downer said. ''It has a responsibility to make sure that it works comfortably and constructively with other countries in the region, that it makes a positive contribution to regional as well as to global issues. We hope they will continue to do that.'' During her first trip to Australia, Rice also took the opportunity to thank one of America's closest allies for keeping troops in Iraq and said she was confident Iraq would build a stable foundation for democracy during the next couple of years.

With sectarian violence rising in Iraq, the United States is anxious to retain as many foreign forces as it can there.

Australia has promised to keep troops in Iraq into 2007.

''Australia has been at our side whenever we have fought for freedom,'' Rice told U.S. sailors aboard the USS Port Royal, which is on a port call to Sydney, where she had lunch with Downer.

Australia's involvement in Iraq has been unpopular among many Australians and opinion polls have shown dwindling support for the mission there.

As an original member of the ''coalition of the willing'' that supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Australia was one of the first countries to commit forces and still has about 1,300 troops stationed there, mostly in the south.

Rice and Downer also took the time to discuss the U.S. deal with India on civil nuclear energy, Iran's nuclear ambitions and Indonesia.

Later today, Rice will give a speech on Iraq and field questions from students during which she is expected to try and quash the view that Iraq is edging closer to civil war.

REUTERS