By Xin Dingding (chinadaily.com.cn/Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-12-11 15:41

China and the United States signed Tuesday an agreement making it much easier for Chinese tourists to visit the US on tourist visas, sources said.

Tuesday afternoon, the Chinese government formally granted the US Approved Destination Status（ADS）after years of negotiation.

This means as soon as next year, Chinese travelers will be able to go to local tour agencies and travel in tour groups to America. At present, the US only issues business travel visas to Chinese travelers.

The agreement is expected to significantly boost the tourism industry in the US, improve bilateral economic exchanges, as well as help ease the trade deficit the US has run up with China.

Agreements Signed at Sino-US Trade Talks

The 18th China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade summoned in Beijing Tuesday and signed 14 agreements and memoranda. They are as follows:

--Memorandum of Understanding Between the National Tourism Administration of the People's Republic of China and the Department of Commerce of the United States of America to Facilitate Outbound Tourist Group Travel From China to the United States

-- Guidelines for China-US High Technology and Strategic Trade Development Between the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and the Department of Commerce of the United States of America

-- Agreement Between the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States of America and the State Food and Drug Administration of the People's Republic of China on the Safety of Drugs and Medical Devices

-- Agreement Between the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China and the Department of Health and Human Services on the Safety of Food and Feed

-- Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation with Respect to Trade in Alcohol and Tobacco Between the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China and the United States Department of the Treasury

-- Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy of the United States of America and the National Development and Reform Committee of the People's Republic of China on Cooperation in the Development of Bio Fuels

-- Protocol Between the Department of Agriculture of the United States of America and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China on Cooperation in Agriculture Science and Technology

-- Memorandum of Understanding on HIV/AIDS Cooperation between the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China and the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States of America

-- Memorandum of Understanding Establishing a US-China Commercial Match-Making Program Between the US&Foreign Commercial Service, International Trade Administration, US Department of Commerce and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

-- Credit Agreement for Importing Medical Equipment for Liaocheng People's Hospital Project in Shandong Province under Sino-US Sovereign Guarantee Financing Cooperation between the Export-import Bank of China and HSBC Bank USA

-- Memorandum of Understanding Between the US Department of Commerce, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the China State Environmental Protection Administration on establishing a forum on technologies and industrial cooperations in environmental protection

-- Memorandum of Cooperation on Implementation of National Environmental Emergency Response Monitoring Project between the State Environmental Protection Administration of China and INFICON INC USA

-- Letter of Intent on Closer Cooperation on National Dioxin Monitoring Project Between the State Environmental Protection Administration of China and Waters Corporation

-- Share Subscription Agreement of GreenGen Company Limited between China Huaneng Group and Peabody Energy