China and the US, under new historic circumstances, "should work to push their constructive and cooperative relations to a new high," President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Tuesday in a meeting with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.  

"This will be achieved if the two sides always abide by the three Sino-US joint communiqués, continue to expand common points of the interest, and properly understand and handle their disputes and concerns," said Hu, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Hu spoke highly of Kissinger's important contributions to the improvement and development of the China-US relations in many years, saying the new century has seen this relationship, in general, is "maintaining a momentum of positive growth."

A good relationship between the two nations is not only in the interests of the two peoples, but also conducive to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole, he said.

Voicing agreement with Hu's comments on US-China ties, Kissinger, the 82-year-old foreign policy expert who has witnessed meetings between eight US presidents and four generations of Chinese leaders, said the US and China share extensive common interests.

The US values and is working to develop a closer relationship with China, and willing to promote bilateral cooperation in various sectors, he said, adding that he visited many places on his current China tour and saw great changes taking place in the country.

This visit has left him a positive impression over many aspects of China, he said, vowing to make even greater contributions to the growth of the US-China ties.

Present on the occasion were Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army.

Kissinger, who arrived here on May 10 for a goodwill visit at the invitation of China Institute for International Strategic Studies, was expected to leave Beijing for home shortly after the meeting.

During his visit in Beijing, Kissinger delivered a speech on the new world order and met with high-ranking Chinese officials.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2005)