Chinese president Hu Jintao (R) meets visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Beijing, Mar. 20, 2005.

Chinese leadership and visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice both voiced commitment Sunday to continue developing bilateral ties, calling for resolving current disputes in a mutually respectful manner.

Chinese President Hu Jintao said facts have proved that China and the United States share wide-ranging common interests and shoulder important responsibilities, and they can realize a win-win result of mutual benefit through cooperation. China-US constructive and cooperative ties should be pushed to a higher level.

The sound, steady and continuous development of Sino-US relations is in the fundamental interest of the two countries and their peoples, and constitutes an important factor for the promotion of regional and world peace, stability and prosperity, stressed Hu.

Premier Wen Jiabao recognized in his meeting with Rice that current China-US relations are in a generally good form, which could enable the two sides to handle it from a strategic and long-term perspective.

Wen said the two nations should take each other's concerns into consideration and handle well disputes and conflicts in trade cooperation, noting the economic and trade cooperation is an important part of China-US relations and both sides should further improve current coordination mechanism based on principles of equality, mutual benefit and development.

Rice said she came to Beijing soon after she assumed office in January with hope to promote a "very strong relationship" with China, and the United States hopes to see a confident and prosperous China and will deal with the two sides' differences in a constructive manner with mutual benefits.

Rice said the US government attaches great importance to growing and developing US-China constructive and cooperative ties, and it is ready to join hands with China in exploring new cooperation fields and to further boost their relations.

The United States hopes to continue to consult with China, and that "Such consultations are helpful for the Asian-Pacific region and the world at large."

Rice is on her first China trip since she became the top US diplomat as guest of Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. She met and exchanged views with the Chinese leaders on US-China relations, the Taiwan question, the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue and other issues of mutual interests.

On the Taiwan question, Hu said properly handling the Taiwan question remains key to the sound and steady development of Sino-US relations, calling for the United States "would honor the commitments that US President George W. Bush reiterated on adhering to the one-China policy, observing the three Sino-US joint communiques and opposing 'Taiwan independence.'"

Hu hoped the United States would "understand and support all efforts made by the Chinese government and people to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and realize a peaceful reunification," and it would not "send any wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) meets with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Beijing, March 20, 2005

Wen explained to Rice that China's anti-secession law aims to curb Taiwan independent forces, expressing his hope that the US side understand, respect and support China's legislation action.

He said the secessionist activities of the "Taiwan independent forces" have posed the biggest threat to the peace and stability across the straits, and the law would also help maintaining peace and development in the Asian-Pacific region.

Rice said it conforms with US interests to maintain tranquillity across the Taiwan Straits and solve the Taiwan question peacefully, and the United States will make efforts to that end.

She promised that the US government's position on pursuing the one-China policy and abiding by the three US-China joint communiques will not change.

On the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Hu said China is willing to work with all concerned parties, including the United States, to resume the talks at an early date.

Hu said China, while insisting that Korean Peninsula should be nuclear weapons-free, is devoting itself to solving the nuclear issue through the six-party talks, and to safeguarding peace and stability there.

Rice spoke highly of China's important role in the progress of six-party talks and briefed Hu on the US viewpoints on this matter. She reiterated that the United States also regarded the six-party talks as the best way to solve the nuclear issue.

China and the United States are playing pragmatic and prudent tunes in current bilateral relations, said Wang Jisi, a leading Chinese expert on Sino-US relations with China Academy of Social Sciences, in an interview with Xinhua.

Wang said China and the United States share recognition and respect for each other's international status quo and strategic interest, and make efforts to seek common grounds in differences, which "represents a more mature nature of the bilateral relationship", Wang said.