Hu urges mutual China-US respect

President Hu Jintao has called on the United States to properly handle sensitive issues between the two countries to ensure bilateral relations move forward in a healthy and stable way.

He made the remarks during a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday with Thomas Donilon, US President Barack Obama's top security aide, the first US national security adviser to visit China in eight years.

Analysts viewed the visit as a chance for the two countries to discuss differences on issues such as security and the economy, which would help secure stable bilateral relationships, during what is a US presidential election year.

Donilon comes at a time when China and the US are at loggerheads over a series of international issues, including Syria, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and international trade.

Hu said the two sides should respect each other's major interests and concerns and handle sensitive issues in a stable, careful and proper manner, so as to advance China-US relations.

Hu said relations have maintained a momentum of stable growth in recent years due to the efforts of both sides.

He added that he and Obama had reached an important consensus on building a cooperative partnership of mutual respect and mutual benefit, and on exploring ways of developing a new type of relationship between their countries.

Calling the China-US relationship one of the most important in the world, Donilon said the US is ready to work with China to implement agreements reached by the heads of both countries.

He said the US is ready to deepen cooperation with China on all bilateral areas and on regional and world issues.

Donilon also held talks with State Councilor Dai Bingguo, China's top diplomat, during which they exchanged views "frankly and deeply" on international and regional issues of common concern, according to a news release from the Foreign Ministry, without elaborating.

Donilon arrived in Beijing on Monday evening. He will also on Wednesday meet Vice-President Xi Jinping, Vice-Premier Wang Qishan, Vice-Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Xu Caihou and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, before continuing his trip to Tokyo.

"Considering Donilon's important influence on US policy-making in defense and security, his visit will play a positive role in stabilizing China-US relations at a special time when the two countries are at loggerheads on some international and regional issues," said Jia Xiudong, a senior researcher on international affairs at the China Institute of International Studies.

Jia noted that the two sides both emphasized the building of a new type of relationship, which shows their goodwill to develop bilateral ties despite a lack of strategic mutual trust and unavoidable differences on certain issues.

He added: "Communication can reduce the negative effect on the general bilateral relationship caused by their differences."

Contact the writer at Chengguangjin@chinadaily.com.cn.