Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said yesterday that the
forthcoming visit by Vice-President
Hu Jintao to
the United States will promote bilateral ties.
"We believe that high-level dialogue and contact between China and
the United States will be conducive to mutual understanding and
promote cooperation," said Zhang at a regular briefing.
But the spokeswoman did not reveal what topics will be discussed
during Hu's meetings with US officials, saying details are still
under consultation.
Hu
is scheduled to visit the United States between April 27 and May 3
following a visit to Malaysia and Singapore.
In
another development, Zhang said Sino-US joint committees on science
and technology, and on commerce and trade, will hold meetings in
Beijing later this month.
The meeting of the Sino-US joint committee on science and
technology, scheduled for April 25 and 26, will touch upon issues
such as the mechanism and methods of bilateral scientific and
technological cooperation.
It
will also look at cooperation on the environment, energy resources,
agricultural sciences, life sciences and scientific education.
Officials from the two countries will discuss their trade relations
at a late April meeting of the Sino-US joint committee on commerce
and trade, according to Zhang.
The spokeswoman announced yesterday that Foreign Minister Tang
Jiaxuan will attend the Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization in Moscow on April 26.
The meeting, focusing on the preparatory work for the
organization's summit in June, will include discussions on the
regional and international situations and the development of the
organization, according to Zhang.
She added the meeting will help ensure the success of the June
summit and promote the organization's development and
cooperation.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- founded last June in
Shanghai -- groups China, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Zhang also said members of the organization are consulting on the
charter of the organization, which is expected to set down the
purpose, direction of cooperation, its make-up and functioning.
Turning to the suicide bombing in Jerusalem last Friday that killed
two Chinese and injured another two, Zhang said the Chinese
government is contacting the relevant departments in Israel.
Taking note of the Israeli proposal for a US-led conference, she
said Palestine and Arafat in particular should be included in the
meeting.
Zhang also said China is glad the situation in Venezuela is
stabilizing.
(China
Daily April 17, 2002)