Hillary Clinton set to visit NZ

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is to embark next week on a six-nation Asia-Pacific tour, which will include New Zealand.

Clinton was due to visit New Zealand in January but had to cancel the trip because of the Haiti earthquake.

The State Department announced today that Clinton will leave next week for Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Papua-New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. Portions of her trip will coincide with President Barack Obama's separate visits to India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan.

In Vietnam, Clinton will represent the US at a summit of regional leaders before travelling to Cambodia and Malaysia to pledge US solidarity with Southeast Asia. She will then move to Papua-New Guinea and New Zealand before joining Defence Secretary Robert Gates in Australia for meetings there. She returns to Washington on Nov. 8.

Because of her itinerary, Clinton will not participate in the annual foreign ministers meeting of the Asia-Pacfic Economic Cooperation forum in Japan, which precedes by just days a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders that Obama will attend in Yokohama, the State Department said.

Instead, Clinton will see Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara during a stopover in Hawaii on her way to Vietnam and Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will attend the Yokohama meeting, department spokesman P.J.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is to embark next week on a six-nation Asia-Pacific tour, which will include New Zealand. Clinton was due to visit New Zealand in January but had to cancel the trip because of the Haiti earthquake. The State Department announced today that Clinton will leave next week for Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Papua-New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. Portions of her trip will coincide with President Barack Obama's separate visits to India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan. In Vietnam, Clinton will represent the US at a summit of regional leaders before travelling to Cambodia and Malaysia to pledge US solidarity with Southeast Asia. She will then move to Papua-New Guinea and New Zealand before joining Defence Secretary Robert Gates in Australia for meetings there. She returns to Washington on Nov. 8. Because of her itinerary, Clinton will not participate in the annual foreign ministers meeting of the Asia-Pacfic Economic Cooperation forum in Japan, which precedes by just days a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders that Obama will attend in Yokohama, the State Department said. Instead, Clinton will see Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara during a stopover in Hawaii on her way to Vietnam and Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg will attend the Yokohama meeting, department spokesman P.J.