United States Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Friday that Sino-US relations are the best in more than 30 years since former US President Richard Nixon paid his first visit to China in 1972.

"Today, I would submit US relations with China are the best they have been since President Nixon's first visit," Powell made the remarks while delivering a speech on US foreign policy and national security strategy at George Washington University.

He said despite the differences between the two countries, "the relationship has improved for a reason that transcends all of these particulars.

"Neither we nor the Chinese leadership believe that there is anything inevitable about our relationship, either inevitably bad or inevitably good," Powell said. "We believe that is up to us together to take responsibility for our common future."

He also said the United States welcomes "a global role of China."

(China Daily September 8, 2003)