Hu discusses Sino-US ties, global issues with Obama

• Source: Xinhua
• [22:19 November 17 2009]
• Comments

Chinese President Hu Jintao said  Tuesday that he and US President Barack Obama had agreed to improve Sino-US relations and reached consensus on major international and regional issues of common concern.

After nearly two hours of talks, Hu told the press at Beijing's Great Hall of the People that his talks with Obama was "candid, constructive and fruitful."

Standing beside Obama, Hu said China and the United States shared broad common interests and have great potential for future development on a series of major issues concerning peace and development of the mankind.

MORE DIALOGUE

Hu said they agreed to improve dialogue, communication and cooperation from a strategic and far-sighted perspective and to make joint efforts in building a positive, cooperative and comprehensive Sino-US relationship so as to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

Both China and the United States believed that close high-level contacts and dialogues and consultations at various levels were of great importance to the two countries' relationship, he said.

The two presidents agreed to keep close communication through visits, phone calls, letters and meetings at multilateral occasions, Hu said.

The two leaders also spoke highly of the role of the strategic and economic dialogue mechanism in boosting mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries.

China and the United States would continue implementing the agreements reached at the first round of the dialogue last July in Washington and will start preparations as soon as possible for the second round of the Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) next summer in Beijing, Hu said.

ECONOMIC COOPERATION

The two leaders exchanged views on the current global financial situation and held that despite the positive signs of the global economic recovery, the foundation of the global economic recovery was far from solid.

Hu and Obama agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation on macro-economic policies, properly handle trade frictions through negotiations and jointly ensure the bilateral economic and trade ties to develop in a healthy and steady way.

"I stressed to President Obama that under the current situation, our two countries should oppose and resist protectionism in all forms in an even stronger stand," he said.

Hu said both China and the United States appreciated the key role of the G20 summit in coping with the global financial crisis.

"China and the United States would work together with all other members to fully carry out the commitments of all G20 summits and continuously strengthen the role of G20 in the management of the global economy, while pushing forward international financial system reform and improving global economic order to guard against and cope with future crisis," Hu said.