Hillary leaves for Asia vowing to strengthen US ties

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton left for Asia on Sunday for her maiden mission as the chief US diplomat after pledging to strengthen US ties with the region.

High among her priorities are finding ways to tackle the global economic crisis and climate change as well as prevent nuclear proliferation.

The new diplomatic chief's choice to travel to Japan, where she is expected on Monday, as well as to Indonesia, South Korea and China, reflects a quest for a long-term strategy to deal with the changing dynamic in global economic, political and military power, analysts say.

Her predecessors usually travelled first to Europe or the Middle East.

Two days ahead of her departure, Clinton said she was "ready to work with leaders in Asia to resolve the economic crisis" and "strengthen our historic partnerships and alliances."

In her first foreign policy speech delivered before the New York-based Asia Society, Clinton said she is also "ready to help prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Asia."

Clinton said North Korea's nuclear program remains "the most acute challenge to stability in northeast Asia."

President Barack Obama's administration would build a strong relationship with the reclusive communist regime if it scraps its nuclear program, which alarmed the world in 2006 with the test of a nuclear device, she said.

Washington would also "assist in meeting the energy and other economic needs of the North Korean people," who face hunger and economic hardships, she added.

Under a landmark deal in 2007 with the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia, North Korea agreed to eliminate its weapons-grade nuclear programs in exchange for energy aid.

The talks stalled late last year when North Korea balked at its five partners' demands for inspections and other steps to verify disarmament.