Chinese President Jiang Zemin said he hoped that China and the
United States will seize the vital opportunities to strengthen
dialogue and cooperation so as to make new progress in the
development of bilateral relations.
President Jiang made the remarks in Beijing Thursday morning during
a meeting with a delegation from the US-China Interparliamentary
Exchange of the US House of Representatives led by the exchange's
Chairman Don Manzullo.
Jiang recalled the positive momentum for the growth of bilateral
relations in recent years and pointed to fruitful cooperation in
economy, trade, anti-terrorism and other major international
issues.
Both China and the United States, he said, shouldered major
responsibilities for world peace and prosperity as the
international situation was undergoing profound changes.
Facts have shown that the growth of bilateral relations has
benefited the people of both countries and promoted world peace and
development, noted Jiang.
After briefing the delegation on China's achievements and the
success of the 16th National Congress of the Chinese Communist
Party held in mid November last year, Jiang said that China's
future was splendid.
President Jiang said he hoped this visit would enable members of
the delegation to learn more about China as most of them were on
their first visit to the country.
The delegation, invited by the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's
top legislative body, the National People's Congress (NPC), is the
first to visit China from the newly elected Congress of the United
States.
Jiang said the improvement and development of Sino-US relations
enjoyed the unanimous support from the two political parties of the
United States in the past years, and many US congressmen had worked
to this end.
Moreover, he said, he hoped members of the delegation would pay
heed to and support the development of bilateral relations and help
promote the mutual understanding and friendship between the people
of the two countries.
President Jiang and the US guests also exchanged views on current
international hot topics like the nuclear issue of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Manzullo said his delegation was the biggest of its kind ever to
visit China, with 13 congressmen and their spouses and
assistants.
He
went on to say that the purpose of this visit is to continue
enhancing exchanges with the Chinese NPC and strengthen mutual
understanding and cooperation so as to facilitate the development
of bilateral relations, which, in Manzullo's words, conformed to
the common interests of the people of the two countries.
(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2002)