WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has postponed a scheduled trip to Indonesia and Australia to keep watch on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's fight for life, the State Department said Friday.

    "She decided that because of the situation in the Middle East it was the right decision to stay in Washington," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

    Rice originally planned to start her five-day journey Saturday that would have taken her to Jakarta for bilateral talks and Sydney for strategic and climate-change discussions.

    McCormack said Rice on Friday had her first phone conversation with acting Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert since Sharon suffered a massive stroke on Wednesday.

    Rice expressed US solidarity with Israel in its latest moment of grief and upheaval, the spokesman said, but gave no more details.

    The chief US diplomat also spoke with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and discussed the possibility of rescheduling a trip there for March, McCormack said.

    Although Rice canceled Asia trip, "the secretary very much looks forward to visiting Indonesia in the near future," McCormack said, noting that discussions on a new date were under way. Enditem