Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday met separately with US Vice President Dick Cheney and other top US officials, and both sides agreed to improve bilateral relations.

 

Hu told Cheney that he had very good talks with US President George W. Bush earlier in the day, during which they agreed that as two important nations in the world, China and the US share a broad range of common strategic interests.

 

Faced with a new international situation, Hu said, the two nations need to increase dialogue, expand consensus, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation to advance bilateral constructive and cooperative relations in the 21st century and to make new contributions to promoting peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole.

 

Saying that the two nations have established sound, solid and healthy relations, Cheney said the US-China relations are crucial to the contemporary world and he is supportive of building strategic relations between the two nations.

 

In a meeting with Senate President Pro Tempore Ted Stevens and other US Congressional leaders, Hu expressed China's appreciation for their long-time efforts to support the development of Sino-US relations.

 

Communications with the US Congress is of great importance to China, Hu said.

 

An increasing number of US lawmakers have acknowledged the importance of China-US relations and put forward a series of proposals to advance bilateral trade, cultural and educational exchanges, Hu said.

 

Hu said that he hopes they will continue their efforts to increase exchange and contribute more to enhance mutual understanding and friendship.

 

Stevens recalled his early years when he fought Japanese invaders side by side with the Chinese during World War II.

 

He said he is glad to see the progress China has made and the development of US-China relations.

 

Stevens said the relationship between the two countries is a global issue on which the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world heavily depends.

 

US Congressional leaders also expressed their views on how to enhance the bilateral cooperation in energy, environmental protection, space technology and other areas.

 

In a separate meeting, Stephen Hadley, President Bush's national security advisor, said that the Chinese president's successful visit will further promote the positive relations which already exist between the two nations and will serve as a reminder to the two peoples that maintaining a sound bilateral relationship benefits both sides.

 

Hu attended the meetings accompanied by Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan.

 

Hu arrived in Washington from Seattle on Wednesday evening and held talks with Bush on Thursday.

 

On Friday, Hu will deliver a speech at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, winding up his US visit.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2006)