Chinese, US presidents meet on bilateral ties

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:01 September 23 2009]
• Comments

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets his US counterpart Barack Obama in New York, the United States, Sept. 22, 2009.

During Tuesday's meeting, Hu said the two sides are implementing the consensus that he and Obama reached at the London summit.

Since Obama took office in January 2009, China-US relations have achieved a smooth transition and maintained a positive momentum of development.

The first China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue was held in Washington in late July with both sides pledging to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation on major international issues and common global challenges.

Hu attributed these achievements made in bilateral ties over the past six months to the strategic and overall perspective that both sides have adopted in dealing with bilateral relations.

Therefore, Hu said, both countries were able to focus efforts on strengthening dialogue and expanding cooperation and strove to properly handle various sensitive issues and addressed each other's concerns in the spirit of mutual respect and seeking common ground while reserving differences.

Hu put forward four propositions on furthering bilateral ties.

First, he said, the two countries should maintain close top-level exchanges. He said he is looking forward to Obama's visit to China in November and that he is convinced the visit will be a success through joint efforts of both sides.

Secondly, the two sides should strive to do a good job in completing the follow-up work of the first China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue held in July. Hu said the two sides should join hands to further promote exchanges and cooperation in combating the international financial crisis and in such areas as trade and economy, anti-terrorism, nuclear non-proliferation, law enforcement, energy, environment and culture.

Thirdly, Hu said the two countries should deepen coordination and cooperation on major regional and international issues. He said the two countries should push for a proper resolution to the regional issues relating to the Korean Peninsula, Iran and South Asia. Both sides should strengthen communications and coordination on the global issues of climate change, food security, global nuclear security and epidemic diseases, Hu said.

Fourthly, Hu said the two countries should step up cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides should boost their cooperation in such areas as personnel exchanges, training of talents and language learning in efforts to consolidate the social basis of bilateral ties.

Noting the importance of expanding bilateral cultural exchanges, Obama said both governments should lend full support to people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.