State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan told visiting US Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher Monday that China hopes to solve the trade disputes between the two countries through dialogue and consultation and avoid mixing trade problems with politics. 

In his meeting with Fletcher, Tang said that the two countries should solve the problems from a perspective of long-term development.

China will unswervingly go on the road of peaceful development and will establish and develop long-term stable cooperative relations with all the countries, including the United States, Tang said.

Chinese and US presidents will exchange visits this year, which will further promote the two countries' constructive relationship of cooperation, Tang said, adding the Sino-US trade cooperation had yielded substantial benefit for the two peoples.

Expressing his appreciation of China's efforts in protecting intellectual property rights, Fletcher said that the two countries share broad common interest and should strengthen communication and enhance mutual understanding.

During the one-hour meeting, the US governor also asked for further cooperation with China on horse raising and sale of Kentucky whiskey. 

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2005)