Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao said China and the United States should
develop their relations from "a strategic point of view."
During yesterday's one-hour closed-door meeting with United States
Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in Beijing, Wen said the two
countries should proceed from the fundamental interests of their
peoples to maintain world peace when handling bilateral
relations.
As
long as both sides take concrete steps in line with talks between
their heads of state at Crawford, Texas, last year, and work
together with mutual respect, Sino-US relations will inevitably
expand further, Wen was quoted as saying by a foreign trade
ministry official.
The vice-premier noted that China was determined to carry out
commitments it made when joining the World Trade Organization
(WTO), and was capable of doing so.
Zoellick said China was making good progress in implementing its
WTO agreements.
"I
think that progress has been pretty good. We do not expect changes
overnight," said Zoellick, after talks with Wen and foreign trade
minister Shi Guangsheng.
Zoellick arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a four-day visit to
China, which will also take him to the cities of Chongqing and
Shenzhen.
He
said China has taken important steps, such as introducing laws and
issuing extra licenses in the insurance industry, to reform its
economy in the 14 months since it joined the WTO.
"On the other hand, there are areas where we want to be sure China
moves as rapidly as we believe it can," Zoellick added.
China's accession to the WTO had been a priority for President
George W. Bush's administration in its first year, Zoellick said in
a statement ahead of the visit.
When meeting with Wen, he said the United States recognized that
China had been conscientious in carrying out its pledges and had
worked vigorously to implement WTO rules.
Zoellick said the United States and China should increase
cooperation in political, economic and trade spheres.
Moreover, he noted the United States hoped to work closely with
China so that bilateral relations could grow smoothly.
The nation's moves to meet WTO obligations were noted recently in a
commentary on Financeasia.com, a Hong Kong-based regional website
for Asia's institutional investors.
The commentary said some of the laws passed by the Chinese
government over the past 12 months were driven by "the authorities"
desire to deepen economic reform...and create an even more
attractive environment for foreign investment.
Following meetings in Beijing, Zoellick will travel to Chongqing in
southwest China to see first-hand the economic opportunities and
potential of the largest city in the world before leaving for
Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
(China Daily February 18, 2003)