The first Sino-American Dialogue on Rule of Law and Human Rights ended Sunday in Nantong, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The two-day symposium was jointly organized by the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (CFHRD) and National Committee on United States-China Relations (NCUSCR) of the United States.

Representatives from China and the United States exchanged views on topics of government transparency, pretrial detention, labor disputes and lawyers' role.

Professor Jerome Cohen of the New York University School of Law said the symposium was "a good exchange" and the U.S. delegation learned more about China.

"We talked about some sensitive issues with people we didn't know before. This is a big good start," Cohen told Xinhua.

"The dialogue is a sign of increasing exchanges between non-governmental organizations," Huang Mengfu, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and CFHRD chairman, addressed the opening ceremony on Saturday.

The symposium attracted more than 30 Chinese and U.S. law professionals and scholars.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2009)