Beijing - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met China's top leaders on Monday, one day after she called for closer cooperation between Washington and Beijing on North Korea and other international issues.

Rice met President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on Monday, following talks with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Sunday.

After her talks with Yang, she said the two nations still had differences over issues such as human rights and the "pace of tactical decisions" in the UN Security Council, of which the United States and China are two of the five veto-holding permanent members.

"But those differences have not obscured a very important fact," Rice said at a joint press conference with Yang.

"And that very important fact is that the United States and China simply must work together if we are going to resolve the many challenges that we face in the international community in a constructive and diplomatic manner," she said.

Rice praised China for its role in hosting six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear programme.

Ahead of UN discussions on Zimbabwe this week, she said the situation there "has deteriorated to a very grave level" and that the "sham election there is likely only to bring more misery and perhaps violence."

"And we believe that it is really now time for the international community to act strongly, but we're consulting about what measures might be taken," Rice said.

Yang continued China's more cautious approach to its long-term ally in Africa, but said China wanted to "play a constructive role."

"The most pressing task now is to stabilize the situation in Zimbabwe," he said.

"We hope the parties concerned will engage in serious dialogue to find a proper solution," Yang said.

"China hopes the international community, African countries in particular, can play a more and constructive role in this regard," he said.

Rice also visited China's earthquake-devastated Sichuan province on Sunday, expressing her sympathy for the victims of the May 12 earthquake, which killed at least
70,000 people.

Hu and US President George W Bush are scheduled to meet during the G8 leaders' summit from July 7-9 in Japan. (dpa)