Hillary Clinton arrives in Jakarta to boost ties with Indonesia

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She noted that her choice of Asia for her first overseas trip is a sign of the Obama administration's desire for broader and deeper relations with the continent.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan attend a joint press conference at the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 18, 2009. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

She also visited the Jakarta-based headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

While there she said Washington would for the first time begin consideration of signing the bloc's non-agression pact, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, said, "An American-ASEAN partnership is an important part of our new approach to development and diplomacy, what we call smart power. As we move forward on the tack, I look forward to engaging with ASEAN in other ways."

After Indonesia, Clinton will travel to South Korea and China.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei