Washington: The US state department has expressed pleasure at Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's historic visit to China. It is the first such visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 10 years.

A state department official said that the US is "happy to see India and China working to improve and strengthen their ties. Two of the most important countries in Asia should have good relations."

On the first full day of Vajpayee's visit, he and his Chinese counterpart, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, signed a raft of documents aimed at ending decades of frosty relations between the two countries.

Work is underway on a joint statement for the two leaders, which is expected to address a wide range of issues, including trade relations and a contentious border dispute that sparked a war between the two Asian powers in 1962.

ANI