Clinton adds China to itinerary

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has added a brief stop in China to her Asia-Pacific tour that begins tomorrow, Reuters reported.

Clinton is starting a 13-day trip that includes a stopover in New Zealand.

The US State Department described her detour to Hainan Island on Saturday as a simple courtesy to Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, a key figure in managing the strained US-China relationship.

Clinton's trip begins with a stop in Hawaii to meet Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, followed by visits to Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia.

Built around this week's East Asia Summit in Hanoi, the tour is designed to demonstrate the US commitment to the region in a climate of China's at times tense relations with the United States and some of its own neighbours, Reuters reported.