Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on a senior U.S. official's remarks on China-U.S. ties.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will stress "engagement and cooperation" with China at the Regional Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Cambodia, said Kurt Campbell, U.S. assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, on Wednesday.

The two powers will announce plans to work together on humanitarian disaster relief and wildlife protection, said Campbell.

It is in the interests of the two nations and ASEAN countries for China and the U.S. to enhance communication, cooperation and sound interaction, said Hong.

He said China and the U.S. have conducted useful discussions on cooperation in Asia-Pacific regions in recent years.

"China hopes to push forward cooperation with the United States in the region on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit and in a step-by-step manner, so as to jointly promote regional prosperity and stability among countries in the region," he added.?