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China and U.S pledge to foster ties
Chinese President Hu Jintao and his United States counterpart, George W. Bush, on Thursday affirmed their reciprocal commitment to advance the relationship between their countries.
The two leaders, who met in Sydney in the run-up to an Asia-Pacific summit there over the Weekened, expressed their shared sentiments in a nuanced fashion, each emphasising the importance of different aspects of theses ties. In a diplomatic cameo of comments after teh talks, Mr. Hu said he was “constructive and cooperative relations.” Describing the meeting as “a constructive and cordial conversation,” Mr. Bush said they exchanged ideas on “a lot of interests that we want to work together on climate change.”Mr. Hu’s parallel response was that “the issue of climate change bears on the welfare of whole humanity and the sustainable developmen t of the whole world.” the matter should, therefore, be “appropriately tacked through stronger international cooperation.”
Mr. Hu earlier spoke about the brass tacks in this sensitive domain after his talks with the Asi-Pacific summit host and Australian Prime Minister, John Howard.
Mr. Hu maintained that ” the UnitedNations framework Covention should remain the main channel for the international efforts” to address climate change. Shining the spotlight on the grand sweep of relations between Washington and Beijing, Mr.Bush said Iran, North Korea, Sudan, the U.S China economic and trade ties, and currency and exchange rates in that bilateral context were discussed with Mr.Hu.
In a transparent reference to some current controversies on the U.S China front, Mr.Bush said he appreciated the Chinese leaders quite articulate comments about product safety.” Religious freedom was another issue Mr.Bush raised. however, he made no public comment, for the second sucessive day, about China’s miltary profile and its recent anti satellite test. Nothing that the talks were “can did, friendly, since and cordial,” Mr.Hu said Mr.Bush “explicity stated the consistent U.S position of opposing any changes to the status quo in the situation across the Taiwan Straits. “On a different plane, China and Australia agreed to begin a Strategic Dialogue and Mr. Howard said “the Trilateral Security Dialogue is not directed at anyone.” Mr.Howard and Mr.Hu witnessed the signing of a$35-billion agreement for the supply of LNG by an Australian consortium to China.