SHANGHAI — Courting the Chinese people, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tried to make the case Saturday for greater cooperation and partnership between the countries as a difficult diplomatic assignment approached: winning Beijing’s support for punishing ally North Korea.
She faces a hard sell persuading China’s leaders to back U.N. penalties after an international investigation blamed North Korea for sinking a South Korean navy ship.
Touring the U.S. and Chinese pavilions at the World Expo, Clinton waded into crowds, shook hands and posed for photos. The underlying message in her cultural charm offensive was that the U.S. and China share basic values and, as world powers, should work together to counter global problems.
“We may not always agree on every issue, but we should seek and seize opportunities like this Expo to build greater understanding,” she said.
