Clinton's surprise China trip confirmed

Washington: It's important to have strong ties

BEIJING - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has added a last-minute stop in Hainan province to her 13-day Asia-Pacific tour, the Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday, after the US State Department announced the news earlier.

She is scheduled to meet State Councilor Dai Bingguo on Saturday, and they are expected to discuss economic issues ahead of next month's Group of 20 summit in Seoul and the expected visit to the US of President Hu Jintao early next year, the US State Department said.