Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yanukovych, met in Washington Monday to discuss the further development of bilateral ties.

This was the first meeting between Hu and Yanukovych after the Ukrainian president took office in February.

Hu said he is delighted to meet in Washington with Yanukovych, who has always attached great importance to building friendship with China.

The Chinese president spoke highly of the contributions made by Yanukovych in boosting the relations between China and Ukraine.

Hu also expressed his willingness to exchange views with the Ukrainian leader on the development of bilateral ties and issues of common concern.

To further develop Sino-Ukrainian relations, the Chinese leader urged the two sides to carry out more high-level exchanges, build political mutual trust, boost pragmatic cooperation, further multilateral cooperation and strengthen coordination, promote technological cooperation and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Yanukovych, for his part, appreciated Hu's support to him, saying his relationship with President Hu has been effectively kept ever since 2004.

He said Ukraine now has entered a brand new era for development, and so do the Ukraine-China relations.

Ukraine stands ready to work with China to promote high-level contacts and further cooperation in such areas as economics and trade, aviation and infrastructure construction so as to consolidate the traditional friendship between the two peoples and further boost bilateral ties, Yanukovych said.

Ukraine will continue to stick to the one-China policy, Yanukovych said.

China and Ukraine have enhanced political mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation in recent years. President Hu sent a special envoy to Ukraine when President Yanukovych was sworn in.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit slated for Monday and Tuesday in Washington.

The summit is mainly aimed at preventing acts of nuclear terrorism. Leaders or their representatives from 47 countries, including the United States, would participate in the summit.

The United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the European Union would also take part in the conference.