FM: Talks with Clinton constructive, fruitful

BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Wednesday that his talks with visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were "constructive and fruitful."

During the talks on Tuesday night, both sides agreed to further strengthen macro policy coordination and speed up the building of an economic partnership to promote stable recovery and growth of the two countries and the wider global economy, Yang said at a joint news conference with Clinton.

"We agreed to properly handle the trade disputes and protect the win-win situation of our trade relations through candid communication and equal dialogue," he said.

Regarding the China-US relations in the Asia-Pacific region, Yang said they agreed to enhance exchanges about regional affairs, increase mutual trust and defuse doubts, realize positive interaction to promote regional peace, stability and development.

China expounded its stance on developing bilateral ties, pointing out that a healthy and stable relationship has a significant impact on maintaining regional peace, promoting world growth and coping with global challenges. Both sides are committed to building a new pattern of big power relationship and properly handling disputes to ensure the relationship is on the right track, Yang said.

Both countries spoke highly of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue and people-to-people exchanges, hoping to expand cooperation in such areas as science, environment and law enforcement.

China reiterated its stance on the South China Sea and Taiwan Question, Yang said, adding that they also touched on the Korean Peninsula situation, Iranian nuclear issue and the Syria conflict.

Clinton said the United States welcomes a strong China, which will have a positive impact on the global economy and it also hopes China can play a bigger role in international affairs.

The cooperation between the two countries produced far more gains than competition, Clinton said, calling on both sides to effectively manage their disputes and boost cooperation.

Clinton arrived in Beijing Tuesday evening for a two-day visit at the invitation of Yang. She met with Chinese President Hu Jintao Wednesday morning and is due to meet with Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice Premier Li Keqiang and State Councilor Dai Bingguo in the afternoon.

This is her second trip to China this year. In May, she attended the fourth round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue as special representative of President Barack Obama.

The visit is part of Clinton's six-nation tour that started on August 30, which also takes her to the Cook Islands, Indonesia, East Timor, Brunei and Russia.