President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama highlighted China-US cooperation in energy and the environment in messages to the Second China-US Strategic Forum on Clean Energy Cooperation, which opened on Tuesday in Washington.

"China and the United States share broader common interests and more important responsibilities," Hu said in his message.

"China is ready to work with the United States on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit to deepen the positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-US relationship," Hu said.

In his message to the forum, jointly organized by the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy and the Washington-based Brookings Institute, Obama said that "a vital component" of US' relationship with China to "help shape and improve the world in the 21st century is our robust bilateral collaboration on climate change and clean energy, which is necessary to ensure both nations accelerate our respective transitions to low-carbon, energy-secure economies."