In Washington on Thursday, the United States attempted to downplay a recent clash between Chinese and US naval ships as both sides engaged in high-level discussions about economic growth and addressing North Korea's nuclear program. The tension between the two nations escalated following an incident in the South China Sea where five Chinese ships confronted a US Navy survey vessel near China's Hainan island. The US maintains that their vessel was in international waters, while China argues that it violated their sovereignty. Despite this disagreement, it is unlikely to disrupt broader negotiations between the two countries regarding global issues such as the financial crisis, North Korea, and climate change. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reported discussing various issues with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, including their mutual agreement to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. They also touched on topics such as human rights, North Korea, Iran, and the global economy. Clinton commended China's efforts to stimulate their economy, calling them significant and a positive step forward. President Obama is set to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao next month at a meeting of the G20 countries to discuss coordinated steps to promote growth, address the banking crisis, and enhance regulation. She emphasized the importance of the G20 meeting resulting in collective action to stimulate global recovery. Regarding North Korea, Clinton mentioned various options, including UN Security Council measures, that could be taken if Pyongyang were to test a long-range ballistic missile, which she described as a provocative act. North Korea recently announced plans to launch a satellite using one of its rockets, which experts believe could be a test of its longest-range missile, the Taepodong-2. This missile, designed to reach Alaska, failed during its only test in 2006. North Korea has faced U.N. sanctions for previous missile tests and is prohibited from conducting further tests. It is contending that the missiles are a component of its peaceful space program and it asserts its right to launch satellites into orbit. Furthermore, she called on North Korea to return to the negotiating table to discuss a multilateral aid-for-disarmament agreement in which Pyongyang would agree to dismantle its nuclear programs. She expressed disappointment that North Korea did not allow her envoy, Stephen Bosworth, to visit during his recent trip to Asia. Addressing criticism from human rights groups, the U.S. Secretary of State attempted to defend her previous statement that concerns about China's human rights record should not interfere with cooperation on economic and other issues. Clinton mentioned that she and Yang had discussed human rights and Tibet, which is commemorating the 50th anniversary of an unsuccessful uprising against Chinese control this week. Clinton emphasized that human rights are a crucial component of their overall dialogue. She informed reporters that the issue is not being prioritized over others, but is part of a wide range of topics being discussed. It is crucial to establish a platform that produces tangible outcomes from our efforts to promote human rights. The US House of Representatives approved a resolution acknowledging the 50th anniversary with a vote of 422-1 and urged Beijing to find a permanent solution. Nancy Pelosi emphasized the significance of speaking up for human rights in China and Tibet, stating that failure to do so would undermine our credibility to address similar issues elsewhere in the world.