China’s Foreign Ministry says visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo have agreed to strengthen stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

The ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site Monday that the United States and China agreed to jointly preserve and promote peace and stability that have been hard-earned in the Asia-Pacific region.

A senior State Department official accompanying Clinton said the Secretary of State expressed concerns over the possibility of North Korea seeking further provocations and urged China to play a key role in persuading the North to refrain from taking such action.