U.S. Asia-Pacific policy should focus on peace

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo said Wednesday that major powers like China and the United States should focus their Asia-Pacific policies and interactions on regional peace, development and cooperation.

Dai made the remarks during his meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying countries in the Asia-Pacific region want a regional environment featuring peace, development and cooperation.

At the meeting, Dai handed Clinton President Hu Jintao's reply to a letter recently heard from U.S. President Barack Obama.

Dai said Sino-U.S. ties have scored great progress, and the depth and breadth of current ties are unprecedented in the history of bilateral relations.

China and the U.S. -- one an emerging power and the other a traditional one -- cannot tread an old path of conflict and confrontation, but should take a new road to develop a new type of relationship between big powers that complies with the trends of the times and the common interests of people around the world, he said.

Dai called on the two countries to match words with deeds, exert mutual respect and explore consensus while handling differences.

Clinton said the U.S. welcomes China's development and prosperity, noting that it will maintain dialogue with China, enhance mutual trust, broaden practical cooperation, properly handle sensitive problems and differences, and cement communication and coordination on global issues.

The U.S., she said, will stick to the strategic positioning of Sino-U.S. ties and will be committed to promoting bilateral ties on the basis of mutual understanding and respect.

The two officials agreed to maintain the irreplaceable roles of the consultation mechanisms play in bilateral ties, including the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) and the High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchanges.

They also exchanged views on global and regional issues.

Clinton wrapped up her two-day visit to China Wednesday evening.