Countries now share more common interests and areas of co-operation, president declares after Bush meeting
President Hu Jintao has added further impetus to growing Sino-US ties by telling a New York gathering of Chinese Americans that the two countries now share more common interests and areas of co-operation.
'Under the new international circumstances, the importance of Sino-US relations has risen instead of declined; the common interests they share have expanded rather than reduced; and the areas of co-operation have expanded rather than contracted,' Mr Hu said on Wednesday.
The gathering was postponed from Tuesday after Mr Hu was delayed for 70 minutes on arrival at New York's JFK International Airport.
His comments followed an hour-long talk on Tuesday with US President George W. Bush, in which the world leaders affirmed the need to strengthen dialogue between the two powers. Mr Bush also accepted an invitation to visit China after November's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum meeting.
Mr Hu said he had agreed with his US counterpart on the need to promote a constructive, co-operative relationship between the two countries. There were many areas of consensus during the meeting, Mr Hu said, without giving details.
In Beijing yesterday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said the Chinese side had made a 'positive evaluation' of the leaders' meeting.