Not long ago, Vice President Xi Jinping paid a successful visit to the United States and exchanged in-depth opinions extensively with the U.S. government leaders and all sectors of the U.S. society on implementing the consensus reached between the two heads of state and pushing forward China-U.S. cooperative partnership. The visit comprehensively promoted the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries and two peoples and significantly boosted the China-U.S. cooperative partnership in the new era. China-U.S. relations will embrace new development opportunities.

II

The international situation is undergoing complex and profound changes and the trends of world multi-polarization, economic globalization and social informationization grow deeply. China-U.S. relations enjoy ever rising strategic significance and worldwide influence and manifest distinctive characteristics of the times. The two countries have strengthened dialogue at the bilateral, regional and global levels, stepped up communications and enhanced cooperation, bringing tangible benefits to their people and making important contributions to world peace, stability and development.

High-level and other levels of contacts are further strengthened. The two heads of state hold multiple meetings each year and talks and telephone conversations frequently to keep close communication and exchange in-depth views on the bilateral relations and issues of common concern. In the past three years, President Hu and President Obama held as many as 10 talks and meetings. Chairman Wu Bangguo of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress visited the United States successfully in 2009 and entered into consensus with the U.S. side on reinforcing the bilateral relations and the exchanges between the legislatures of the two countries. Premier Wen Jiabao met with U.S. leaders when attending such multilateral events as the UN conferences. Those high-level contacts have played an important role in boosting the development of bilateral relations.

Dialogue and consultation mechanisms are being improved. The two countries have established more than 60 dialogue and consultation mechanisms covering a wide range of areas, including the strategic and economic dialogue, the high-level consultation on cultural exchanges and the exchange mechanism between the legislatures of both countries, launched such new mechanisms as the strategic security dialogue, Asia-Pacific affairs consultation, dialogue of political parties and the forum of governors of provinces and states and built a new platform to increase mutual trust and enhance cooperation.

Business cooperation is expanded. For many years, China-U.S. business relations have progressed by leaps and bounds. The bilateral trade volume increased from less than $2.5 billion at the beginning of the establishment of diplomatic ties to $446.6 billion in 2011. China and the United States are each other's second largest trading partner. China has been the fastest growing export market of the United States for 10 years in a row. The United States has become China's biggest single export market and source of foreign direct investment. The investment of Chinese businesses in the United States is also growing. China-U.S. business cooperation is expanded and deepened continuously and mutual benefit has been materialized by tangible actions, which has benefited the two peoples and helped boost world economic recovery and growth.