 Hu, Rice commit to Sino-US cooperation
By Jiao Xiaoyang (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-01 07:52
Chinese leaders yesterday expressed thanks to the United States for its help in the earthquake-relief effort, and promised to promote cooperative relations. "Whatever changes take place in the international climate and in the United States, our line of fostering a constructive and cooperative China-US relationship remains unchanged," President Hu Jintao told visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. China-US relations are currently "at a crucial stage that inherits the past and ushers in the future", Hu said. Hu praised Rice's contribution to bilateral relations, and said her visit on Sunday to the earthquake-affected areas in Sichuan "has fully demonstrated American people's friendly feelings toward Chinese people". "Since you became the national security advisor and then secretary of state, you have laid great store by China-US relations, and have made positive contributions which I highly appreciate," Hu said. President Hu expressed gratitude to President Bush and first lady Laura Bush for signing the book of condolences for quake victims at the Chinese embassy in Washington. Rice said during the meeting with Hu how impressed she was with China's quake-relief effort and the "irrepressible" spirit of the people in the quake zone. "I think the story you just told underscores what I have always thought, which is that it is good to have constructive relations between governments. But relations between peoples are what will really sustain the US-China relationship," she said. Rice said the US government will push forward relations with China during the remaining period of the Bush administration, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China on international issues such as the Six-Party Talks. "I bring greetings from President Bush, who is looking forward to seeing you in just a few days," Rice said, referring to the upcoming G8 summit in Japan. Rice's visit came after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea handed in a long-awaited nuclear declaration on Thursday and demolished a symbolic cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear facility a day later. Diplomats said the Six-Party Talks are likely to restart soon, in order to discuss verification of Pyongyang's nuclear declaration and further steps in the denuclearization process. (China Daily 07/01/2008 page3) |
