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U.S. President Barack Obama met Chinese President Hu Jintao's special representatives, Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo in the Oval Office of the White House on May 9. Wang and Dai co-chaired the third round of Sino-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) in Washington, D.C.
Wang conveyed an oral message from President Hu to Obama. Hu said, since he had paid a successful state visit to the United States in January, the consensus reached by the two heads of state to build a Sino-U.S. cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit has been earnestly implemented. The two countries have maintained close contacts and dialogues in bilateral, regional and global fields and have engaged in effective communication and cooperation. In the new situation, China is willing to work with the United States to further strengthen dialogues and exchanges, enhance mutual understanding and strategic mutual trust, properly sort out differences, expand and deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and push Sino-U.S. cooperative partnership forward.
Wang said the task of this round of the S&ED is to implement the consensus reached by President Hu and President Obama to build a comprehensive and mutually beneficial economic partnership. China and the United States, as the world's two largest economies, are highly interdependent and complementary in an economic sense and enjoy broad prospects for cooperation. The economic relations between the two countries have gone beyond bilateral and are having greater global impact. In the current, extremely complex economic situation, the success of the S&ED would play an important role in driving the economic growth of the two countries and even the world.
Wang said while there was cooperation and conflict in the economic relations between the two countries, the cooperation was mainstream. China has made positive headway in a number of areas such as protecting intellectual property rights, promoting the use of copyrighted software, improving innovation and government procurement policies, and fostering an open investment environment. He said China hopes the United States could make breakthroughs in the areas of concern to China, such as relaxing controls on export of hi-tech products to China for mutual benefits, win-win results and the better benefit of the two peoples.
Dai said the current complex and fluctuating international situation had fully demonstrated the decision made by the leaders of the two countries on establishing a Sino-U.S. cooperative partnership is completely correct and necessary. The world needs a better, more stable, and more predictable relationship between China and the United States. China, which is committed to peace, development and cooperation and which selects the path of peaceful development, will bring the United States and the world unprecedented opportunities through its own development.
China is willing to work with the United States to seize opportunities, fully implement the outcome of Hu's visit and promote the building of the Sino-U.S. cooperative partnership, he said. The two sides should strengthen cooperation and coordination in international and regional affairs, jointly cope with various challenges, maintain and promote world peace and development.
Dai said China has made phenomenal historic progress in the field of human rights. The two sides should carry out exchanges and dialogues on human rights on the basis of equality and mutual respect, seek common ground while shelving differences and properly cope with disputes.
Obama thanked Hu for delivering the important message. He said Hu's visit to the United States this January had been of great significance for bilateral relations. The S&ED is an important mechanism in bilateral relations, which has effectively promoted mutual understanding and cooperation. The third round of the dialogue was productive and he was satisfied with the outcome.
Obama said the common goal of the United States and China was to implement the consensus agreed upon by the two sides during Hu's trip to the United States this year. The United States supports a strong, prosperous and successful China and supports the playing by China of a greater role in international affairs. China has made good progress in areas such as protecting intellectual property rights. The United States is willing to export more hi-tech products to China and other countries because the move would benefit both sides.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner attended the meeting.
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