China and the US concluded the second round of strategic talks
in Washington Thursday, acknowledging their increasing common
interests and vowing further cooperation.
During the two-day meeting, Vice Foreign Minister Dai
Bingguo and US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick
focused their discussions on bilateral relations as well as major
world and regional issues of common concern, according to sources
from the Chinese Embassy there.
They said the talks were conducted with a candid, thorough and
constructive exchange of views and were believed to have further
forwarded mutual understanding and consensus building.
The Chinese and US sides agreed that China is developing in a
responsible way for both the Chinese people and the world, and its
development will benefit everyone.
Both said they believed that it is important for them to
understand each other.
They also acknowledged an expansion of common interests and
areas of cooperation and agreed that they should consider their
relationship strategically with a long-term perspective.
They also said they should enhance mutual understanding, expand
areas of consensus, deepen mutual trust, advance cooperation and
handle differences carefully as agreed by President Hu Jintao
and US President George W. Bush at their September meeting in New
York and during Bush's visit to China last month.
They said the strategic talks would bring benefits and help
increase mutual trust, and tentatively agreed to hold the next
round in the first half of 2006.
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and US National Security
Adviser Stephen Hadley also met with Dai during the talks.
(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2005)