WASHINGTON–Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met here Wednesday with leaders of the U.S. Congress, including House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Xi told the lawmakers that his visit is aimed at further implementing the important consensuses reached by the two countries' presidents and communicating extensively with the U.S. public so as to promote the building of the China-U.S. cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit.
The Congress plays an important role in China-U.S. relations, Xi said, noting that China's top legislature, the National People's Congress, has established a mechanism of regular meetings with both chambers of the U.S. Congress. Under this framework, Xi said, the Chinese and U.S. legislative bodies have carried out all-around communications and dialogues, making great contributions to boosting mutual understanding and trust and expanding bilateral cooperation.
The Chinese government will, as always, facilitate such dialogues and exchanges in order to promote the healthy and steady development of China-U.S. ties, he added. In talks with Boehner, Xi said that the great progress in China-U.S. relations in the past 40 years has proved that the bilateral relationship is a mutually beneficial, cooperative partnership, with far more common interests than differences.
He also pointed out that applying active and pragmatic policies on China is a common practice by past and current U.S. governments and a major consensus of the Republicans and Democrats. With the effects of the international financial crisis still dragging on and hotspot regional issues emerging one after another, China and the United States shoulder the responsibility to enhance cooperation and tackle challenges hand in hand, Xi said.
While meeting with Reid and McConnell, Xi said that China-U.S. relations have seen important progress since Chinese President Hu Jintao's successful state visit to the United States in January 2011. The bilateral relationship, he added, is at a new historic starting point where the two countries need to follow the all-in-the-same-boat spirit and make joint efforts to overcome difficulties.
The two sides should strengthen cooperation in various fields, expand common interests and properly handle sensitive issues in bilateral relations, added the Chinese vice president. – Xinhua
