US does not fear peaceful rise of China: Clinton

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The US does not begrudge a peaceful rise of China but wants the rapidly growing country to follow fair economic practices, including respecting intellectual property rights.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the Obama administration is very clear that it wants a 'positive relationship with China' as its remarkable growth story is also in the interests of America.

"We do not begrudge or fear a peaceful rise of China... We think that that is in the interests of the Chinese people, We also think that it's in our interests as well. I mean, we want to have a positive relationship," Clinton told the PBS News in an interview.

While she described the relationship with China as positive, cooperative and comprehensive one, Clinton also said that this does not mean the two nations were not competitors in the fields of economics and political influence.

"That kind of goes with the territory. We compete with countries all over the world on a range of issues," she said.

However, Clinton criticised China for not respecting intellectual property. "When China was opening up, they were very welcoming and American businesses took advantage of that... Well now, they're trying to say to themselves, okay, we want to do this ourselves now.... We see the shortcuts being taken. And it's deeply distressing," she added.

Clinton said China has developed a strong economic engine for growth that is not only benefiting the Chinese people, but also having quite dramatic effects elsewhere in the world.

"I mean, their hunt for natural resources is almost inexhaustible because of their population and the rising expectations of their people. There are ways to do it that will be sustainable and ways to do it that are not," she said.

"So we engage with the Chinese as we do with others around the world on - you know, there are mining practices that will not have damaging environmental effects, and there are those that do. And so let's work together in the global community to try to be more responsible," she said.

The top US diplomat said the Obama Administration has been working with China on a vast array of subjects that do not break into the headlines, but are advancing science and technology cooperation, augmenting student exchange and increasing visas that US offers dramatically.

"We have increased, just in the last year, by 32 per cent. We're hiring 100 more visa adjudicators because we want to have those relationships on and on and on," she said.