Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi met separately with former US Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and Madeleine Albright on Friday to discuss the two countries' relations and other issues of mutual interest.  

Wu, who led a high-level Chinese delegation to attend the 15th session of the China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade held on Wednesday, thanked Kissinger and Albright for their years of efforts to support Sino-US economic cooperation and trade as well as the improvement and development of relations between the two countries.

As two countries of global influence and with their economies highly complementary, China and the United States share extensive common interests and have a great potential for cooperation, she said.

The vice premier said the Chinese government attaches great importance to its relationship with the United States, and is willing to work with the US side to carry out commitments made by leaders of the two countries and further advance the two countries' economic and trade cooperation in a steady and healthy manner.

Both Kissinger and Albright agreed that the relationship between the United States and China is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world today.

They were pleased with the continuous improvement of the relations and expected both sides to further strengthen cooperation and face challenges together for the benefits of the world as a whole.

Vice Premier Wu on Friday also had meetings with some US lawmakers, including William Thomas, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives, during which she briefed them on the socioeconomic development in China and answered their questions on the protection of intellectual property rights and other issues.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2004)