Backgrounder

Chronology of China-US summits since 2009

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-20 09:36

BEIJING - President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama have met several times since Obama took over the Oval Office in January 2009.

The following is a chronology of their major meetings:

In 2009

-- On April 1, Hu and Obama met in London on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit on the financial crisis. It was their first meeting.

The two leaders agreed to work together to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship between China and the United States for the 21st century, while reaching broad consensus on various issues, including the establishment of a China-US strategic and economic dialogue mechanism, to further enhance China-US ties.

-- On September 22, they again met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The two leaders exchanged views on the China-US ties as well as those regional and international issues of common concern.

Hu said a sound China-US relationship was not only in the interests of the two countries, but was also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region and the world at large. Obama said the United States was committed to building a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship for the 21st century with China and making this relationship more dynamic and effective. He believed that cooperation with China was important to the United States.

-- On November 17, Hu and Obama held official talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and the two leaders reached important consensus on China-US relations.

The two sides agreed to make joint efforts to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship for the 21rt century and take concrete actions to steadily establish a partnership to cope with the challenges facing both countries. The two sides issued a joint statement after the talks.

In 2010

-- On April 12, the two leaders met in Washington on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit to exchange views on China-US relations and other important regional and international issues of common concern and reach important consensus. The two sides agreed that a sound China-US relationship was not only in the interests of the two countries, but was also conducive to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific region and the world at large.

-- On June 26, Hu met Obama on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Toronto, Canada, to discuss bilateral relations and other important regional and international issues of common concern. During the meeting, Obama invited Hu to make a state visit the United States in early 2011 and Hu accepted.

-- On November11, the two leaders met in Seoul on the sidelines of the fifth Group of 20 summit to exchange views on the Sino-US relations and other major world and regional issues of common concern.

Hu said that facing the changing regional and international challenges, China and the United States should trust each other and join hands to tackle increasingly rising global challenges to benefit the peoples of both countries as well as the people of the whole world. Obama fully agreed with Hu's views on the development of China-US ties, saying the United States was willing to strengthen its cooperation with China to boost a dynamic, sustainable and balanced economic growth in the world.