China expects positive results from Obama's visit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-10 20:00

BEIJING: China on Tuesday said it hoped US President Barack Obama's visit next week will achieve more positive fruits.

"We expect to exchange views with President Obama on China-US relations and other major issues," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press conference.

Qin hoped the visit would help increase mutual trust, enhance bilateral cooperation and promote the healthy and stable growth of China-US ties.

Heads of the two countries reached an important consensus on working together to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship when they met in London in April.

"We hope the two nations will further affirm this new orientation and give more strategic content to bilateral cooperation during Obama's visit," Qin said.

The visit was of great importance to the future development of China-US relations, he said.

Obama will visit China from Nov. 15 to 18 at the invitation of President Hu Jintao. They will discuss bilateral ties and major international and regional issues of common concern in Beijing. Obama will go to China's economic hub of Shanghai as the first leg during his tour.

In response to questions concerning Taiwan and Tibet, Qin called for the adherence to the three Sino-US joint communiques, saying the two countries should respect each other's core interests and concerns.

Qin called on the United States to work together to properly handle bilateral trade problems.

He said it was conducive to facilitating the development of bilateral trade if the two sides made joint efforts to solve existing problems, such as admitting China's market economy status and ironing out the trade frictions.

Sino-US trade had brought real benefits to the two peoples, he said.

Sino-US trade relations were one of the important pillars of bilateral ties and had made remarkable progress in recent years.

The trade volume, which had risen from almost nothing 30 years ago to about US$300 billion, had witnessed the growing interdependence of the two economies, he said.

Trade frictions and disputes between the two countries were mainly generated by different national conditions, the development of globalization and industrial divisions.

"Compared to the huge common interests and benefits brought about by bilateral trade, the problems in trade relations are secondary," said Qin.

He said the two sides should conduct negotiations on an equal basis, and oppose trade and investment protectionism in any form.

China hoped the United States would pay attention to the financial deficit problem and maintain a medium and long-term sustainable financial policy, to safeguard the stability of the US dollar, Qin said.

"This is conducive to China and the world at large," he said.