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Premier Wen meets US cabinet chiefs on trade, energy

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-16 21:50

BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday met with US Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to highlight the importance of collaboration on trade and energy.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) on Thursday met with US Energy Secretary Steven Chu (L) and Trade Secretary Gary Locke to highlight the importance of cooperation on trade and energy.[Xinhua]

"As a crucial part of China-US relations, our trade and energy cooperation is important for both countries' economic growth and sustainable development," Wen said in a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry.

Wen was the highest-ranking Chinese official to meet with Chu and Locke, both ethnic Chinese, who are making their first visits to China since becoming cabinet members of the Obama administration.

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During their 50-minute meeting at the Zhongnanhai leaders' compound in downtown Beijing, Wen underscored bilateral effective collaboration in addressing the global economic downturn, climate change, counter terrorism and anti-proliferation thanks to the frequent exchanges.

"These efforts boosted China-US ties and cemented international cooperation," Wen said.

With the China-US Economic and Strategic Dialogue in Washington on July 27 and 28, Wen said both sides to make the most of the opportunity.

"In a spirit of openness, innovation and mutual benefit, both should respect each other and consult equally to bolster cooperation and benefit both nations as well as the international community," Wen said.

US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke (R) shakes hands with US Energy Secretary Stephen Chu after a joint news conference in Beijing, July 16, 2009. [Agencies]

The new dialogue mechanism came out of the first meeting between President Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama in April in London.

Its strategic track will be chaired by Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while its economic track will be chaired by Wang Qishan and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, as special representatives of their respective presidents.

Chu and Locke told Wen that they expected the first dialogue to yield positive results. They also pledged to seek stronger US-China cooperation in trade, energy and climate change.

With a mission to advance US-China cooperation on clean energy and energy efficiency technologies, Chu and Locke arrived in Beijing Tuesday.

On Thursday morning, they went to suburban Beijing to visit a  energy-efficient US Future House in a demonstration park funded by Chinese government and foreign embassies.

They also had a flurry of meetings with leading officials of trade, energy, economy planning, and science and technology.

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