Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday put forward a five-point proposal for improving China-U.S. relations in a meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington April 12, 2010. President Hu Jintao arrived in Washington on Monday to attend the Nuclear Security Summit slated for April 12-13. [Ju Peng/Xinhua]?

The two sides should persistently stick to the right direction of bilateral ties, and take concrete moves to establish a partnership to jointly deal with common challenges, said Hu.

Second, China and the United States should respect each other's core interests and major concerns. This is key to the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties, he said.

The Taiwan and Tibet issues concern China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its core interests. China hopes the United States would keep its promises and handle these issues with caution, so that further setbacks in China-U.S. ties could be averted.

Third, the two sides should keep exchanges at different levels, said Hu, adding that he is willing to keep close contact with Obama.

China and the United States should jointly push for positive results at the second round of China-U.S. strategic and economic dialogue, said Hu.

Fourth, the two countries should deepen practical cooperation. China would like to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the United States in economics and trade, counter-terrorism, energy, environment, and law enforcement.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) meets with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington April 12, 2010. President Hu Jintao arrived in Washington on Monday to attend the Nuclear Security Summit slated for April 12-13. [Li Xueren/Xinhua]

China is also willing to explore cooperation in civil aviation, high-speed train and infrastructure, said Hu.

China expects outstanding U.S. exhibitions at the upcoming Shanghai Expo and welcomes U.S. citizens to the event.

Fifth, China and the United States should strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional issues. The two sides should continue to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, and their cooperation in the framework of the Group of 20.

Hu and Obama met on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit slated for Monday and Tuesday.