Chinese President Jiang Zemin met with United States banker David Rockefeller Friday Afternoon in Beijing. They exchanged views on Sino-US relations and other issues of common concern.

Jiang said that since China and the US resumed exchanges in the 1970s, Rockefeller has visited China many times, and has always shown concern for and supported the development of Sino-US relations. He expressed appreciation for Rockefeller's contributions to the growth of Sino-US relations.

He said that both China and the US are large countries with important influence in the world. In addition, the two countries shoulder common responsibilities and have common interests on key issues concerning the world's peace and development.

The Chinese government always stands for developing constructive and cooperative relations with the US, and so the two governments and peoples should constantly increase mutual understanding, reinforce trust and cooperation, and make common efforts for the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asian- Pacific region and the world as a whole, he said.

He added that, while the world's economy faces new challenges, reinforced consultation and cooperation between China and US in the financial arena are of great importance for preventing regional financial turbulence and promoting regional economic development.

China will soon become a member of the World Trade Organization, which will benefit the country's economic development and will be conducive to its expansion of economic and trade cooperation with US and other countries, he said. He expressed the hope that China and US would make common efforts to promote mutual economic and trade cooperation to a new level.

Rockefeller said that US-China relation is one of the most important bilateral relations in the world. Although US-China relations have experienced misunderstanding in recent years, he said, he is glad to see the recent encouraging improvement in this respect.

He said that the US people are grateful to the Chinese government and people for their sympathy and support for the US people following the September 11 incident. He recommended that the US and China step up consultation and cooperation in the sphere of anti-terrorism. He also expressed congratulations to China on its imminent accession to the WTO and its hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games.

Rockefeller and his entourage are in China at the invitation of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs.

(People’s Daily 09/29/2001)