U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Friday that China is showing evidence of becoming a responsible stakeholder.

"I think China is certainly showing evidence of that (becoming a responsible stakeholder). I thought the North Korea (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) example was a good one," Rice said when answering questions from Xinhua during a roundtable interview with journalists from China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.

"We need to make sure that we remain united on Iran, but all that means is that China, which is a country of growing power and influence, needs to be a concrete and active contributor to the improvement of security and prosperity," Rice said.

It is very important for the United States to work together with China within the United Nations framework as China is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Rice added.

"And so the work we do together there is also very important, so as the U.N. is involved on Iran, on North Korea (DPRK), potentially even on the Middle East, you have not just U.S.-China relations, but the U.S.-China relationship working to solve problems in international politics," Rice said.

While asserting the China-U.S. relationship "really a quite good one," Rice said the two countries do not agree on everything. "We do not agree about everything. That is not surprising," she said.

The United Sates will raise its concerns to China "in a respectful way," Rice said.

Rice said the high-level visits between leaders of the two countries will help promote bilateral relations.

In addition to Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States in April and the ongoing U.S. visit by General Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission, Rice said that President Hu Jintao and U.S. President George W. Bush also met during the Group of Eight Summit just concluded in St. Petersburg, Russia earlier this month.

"We are having a lot of high-level visits. They will help promote better, stronger relations," Rice said.

Rice added that she is still considering who is to succeed outgoing Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick.

Zoellick's successor must be a person who recognizes the importance of Asia and has a special interest in the region.

"He (Zoellick) recognizes the importance of the region. And I think anybody who becomes deputy will recognize the importance of the region," she said.

Zoellick has tendered his resignation and is expected to leave office this month. However, his successor is still to be named.

Source: Xinhua