A group of Chinese and US lawmakers had in-depth exchanges of views on China-US relations, mutual exchanges and other issues of mutual concern, and reached wide-ranging consensus, at a meeting in Hawaii over the past two days.

The meeting on Thursday and Friday was the first between members of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC) and the US Senate since the 110th US Congress convened early this month, and was attended by Sheng Huaren, vice-chairman and secretary general of the NPC Standing Committee, and US Senators Daniel Inouye and Ted Stevens, chair and co-chair of the US-China parliamentary group in the Senate.

The two sides hailed the development in bilateral relations in recent years, and agreed that there is a sound momentum in the overall development of China-US relations and that the common interests between the two countries are expanding.

Further implementation of the series of important consensus reached by Chinese President Hu Jintao and his US counterpart, George W. Bush, is of vital importance in advancing the constructive relationship of cooperation between the two countries in the 21st century, they said.

They reviewed exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in such areas as economy and trade, anti-terrorism, nonproliferation, military, law enforcement and energy, as well as the close consultations and coordination between the two sides on the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula and in Iran and other regional and international issues. They emphasized that the two sides should enhance dialogue, strengthen mutual trust, and handle their disputes in a proper manner, to ensure the sound and stable development of China-US relations.

On the issue of Taiwan, Sheng, who is also chairman of the NPC China-US (Senate) parliamentary group, briefed the US side on recent developments in relations across the Taiwan Straits. Sheng said that the Taiwan issue concerns China's core interest, and to oppose "Taiwan independence" and safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait conform to the mutual interest of China and the United States.

Inouye and Stevens expressed understanding of China's concern on the Taiwan issue, and reaffirmed that on the Taiwan issue, the US side has not changed its position of adhering to the one-China policy and abiding by the three US-China joint communiqués.

The Chinese and US lawmakers also agreed that parliamentary exchanges are an important part of relations between the two countries, and the regular conference mechanism between the NPC and the Senate has become an effective platform for the two sides to enhance understanding, expand consensus and deepen trust, and has played a positive role in promoting China-US relations.

Since the China-US (Senate) parliamentary conference mechanism was set into motion in January 2004, the two sides have held three formal sessions, and the next formal session of the mechanism was scheduled for May or June 2007 in Washington.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2007)