WASHINGTON - The Second US-China Strategic Forum On Clean Energy Cooperation started in Washington on Tuesday, bringing together government leaders, business executives and experts from both countries to discuss an array of energy collaboration topics.

Constructive cooperation between China and the United States in the clean energy field could serve as a role model for bilateral ties in different areas and for other countries, said John Thornton, chairman of the Washington-based Brookings Institution, a co-organizer of the forum.

The two-day gathering includes panel discussions and working group meetings under the theme of US -China relations in the next decade.

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The first session of the forum took place in Beijing in 2009.

Close bilateral cooperation in clean energy would be conducive to trust building between the two nations and for the future generations, US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman told the forum.

The cooperation on clean energy development could help boost employment and create vast business opportunities in both countries.

This effort was also crucial to a green future for both countries and the world, Huntsman said.

Zheng Bijian, chairman of co-organizer China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, told the forum China-US practical cooperation in clean energy surely could expand and deepen the convergence of interests.

"I believe the discussion at this forum will not only contribute to the global efforts to address the challenge of climate change, but also help promote low-carbon development and energy security of the two countries," Zheng said.