Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and US President George W.
Bush agreed Tuesday to further improve and strengthen bilateral
relations which they said will benefit the people of both countries
and are conducive to world peace and stability.
Wen told reporters after talks with Bush that he had an in-depth
exchange of views with Bush on Sino-US relations, and on regional
and international issues of common concern.
He said the discussion took place in a very friendly, candid,
cooperative and constructive atmosphere, and two sides reached
consensus on many issues and agreed that further improvement and
growth of bilateral ties will not only benefit the two peoples but
also world peace and stability.
On Sino-US trade relations, Wen said the expansion of
China's economic cooperation and trade with the United States has
not come by easily. Trade between the two countries was less than
US$2.5 billion 25 years ago, but the annual volume now has exceeded
US$100 billion.
Bilateral economic and trade links have been conducive to the
interests of our two peoples and two countries, he said.
Admitting problems, mainly the US trade deficit with China, in
the China-US economic and trade relationship, the Chinese premier
said the Chinese government has taken the problem seriously and has
taken measures to improve the situation.
Wen said that at an ensuing large group meeting with the US
side, he would make one proposal and share with Bush the five
principles he thought should guide the development of economic
cooperation and trade between the two countries.
For his part, Bush said that by working closely together, China
and the United States "can accomplish a lot of very important
objectives."
Terming the US-Chinese relationship as "good and strong," he
said the two sides are determined to keep such a relationship for
the good of the two peoples and for the peace and prosperity in the
world.
On the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Bush said
the two countries share a mutual goal, and "that is for the Korean
Peninsula to be nuclear-weapons free."
Bush extended thanks to Wen for China starting the six-party
talks on the nuclear issue, and expressed the hope that talks would
continue. He said the goal of the United States "is not for a
freeze of the nuclear program," but "to dismantle a nuclear weapons
program in a verifiable and irreversible way."
"We will continue to work with China and the three countries
(Russia, South Korea and Japan) involved to resolve this issue
peacefully," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency December 10, 2003)
