State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan met in Beijing Monday with James A Leach, chairman of Subcommittee on Asia and Pacific Affairs of the International Relation Committee of US House Committee.

Tang spoke positively on the current Sino-US relations, noting that President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to the US will be significant for promoting the Sino-US constructive cooperative relations in the 21st century.

Expressing his appreciation of the remarkable achievements in the exchanges between the parliaments of the two countries in recent years, Tang said that the exchanges had played an important role in enhancing mutual understanding and trust and expanding consensus and cooperation.

Leach said the US government and parliament attach great importance to developing relations with China, noting that the two countries should further strengthening communication and cooperation in all fields.

Leach said that US appreciates the important role China played in the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2005)