Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Phnom Penh on Thursday during the Foreign Ministers' Meetings of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  and said that since the beginning of this year, Sino-U.S. relations have continued to make progress.

Yang stressed that the Chinese side stands ready to work together with the United States to continue to implement the agreement reached between the two heads of state, maintain and strengthen dialogue, coordination and cooperation in the bilateral, Asia-Pacific and global context.

Clinton said that the United States is committed to developing a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China, adding the U.S.-China relationship has great importance.

She said a good bilateral relationship is not only in the interests of both countries, but also important for the region.

The two sides have established numerous mechanisms for interaction such as the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, and their enhanced cooperation in the Asia Pacific will send out a positive signal. The U.S. side appreciates the constructive role played by China on major international and regional issues and stands ready to further step up communication and coordination with the Chinese side so as to seek new progress in bilateral relationship and in regional cooperation.

The Chinese foreign minister said that the Asia-Pacific region is where the interests of China and the United States are the most intertwined and where the two countries have the most frequent interaction, adding that China and the United States should put in place a sound pattern of interaction in the Asia-Pacific that features win-win cooperation.

Yang said China hopes that the United States will respect the interests and concern of China and other countries in the region.

The two sides reviewed their cooperation carried out in the Asia-Pacific region in disaster relief, science and technology, climate change, energy policy, forest management and other fields, and reached agreement in principle to further conduct cooperation in such fields as wildlife protection, disease control and fishing management. They agreed to have the fourth round of Consultations on Asia Pacific Affairs in September or October this year.

The two sides also exchanged views on Middle East and other international and regional issues.

(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2012)