Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Sunday that Sino-US relations are currently in a sound momentum of development and the two have had fruitful cooperation in a "wide range of fields".

Wen made the remark in a meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the Chinese government in Beijing.

Noting that both China and the United States are countries of important influence in the world, Wen said it is the strategic choice of both sides to safeguard and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, which is in the fundamental interests of the people of both countries and conducive to peace, stability and prosperity of the world.

Wen said China is willing to further strengthen the constructive and cooperative relations with the United States on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits.

Wen especially made positive comments on the rapid expansion of trade and economic links between China and the United States.

He said mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation between China and the United States have not only brought huge benefits to the people of both countries, but also promoted the two countries' economic growth and even the global economy.

"These things constitute the mainstream of bilateral trade and economic cooperation," he said.

Wen also expressed the hope that the two countries should strictly abide by relevant regulations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and observe the principle of "development, equality and mutual benefits" to properly resolve problems in trade and economic cooperation through equal dialogue and friendly consultation, so as to realize a win-win situation in bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Wen stressed that China will insist on pursuing the route of peaceful development. He said China will focus on economic development in dealing with domestic affairs,and strive to achieve the goal of building a relatively well-off society in all aspects.

Meanwhile, he said China will adhere to an independent and peaceful foreign policy in dealing with international affairs. s

Wen said China is trying to create a stable international environment under which it can develop itself. In the meantime, China is promoting world peace and progress with its own development, he said.

"China is not and will never be interfering with and threatening any other countries," Wen said.

In response, Rice said the current trade and economic problems between the United States and China have aroused great concern within the United States.

But she noted that the US side doesn't believe that the global economy is a game of zero or sum, adding that the United States welcomes a strong Chinese economy and believes that China's economic development will benefit the global economic growth.

The senior US official also said the United States hopes to set up an open economic link with China, through which the two can properly handle relevant issues and improve cooperation.

She also commended the "fruitful" bilateral cooperation in wide range of fields, saying that the United States hopes that the two sides would further enhance understanding and set up a framework for bilateral ties through dialogue.

Wen and Rice also exchanged views on major regional and international issues during their meeting.

This is Rice's second visit as US Secretary of State within six months. Beijing is the first leg of her Asian tour, which will also bring her to Thailand, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Before her meeting with Wen, Rice had held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on issues including bilateral ties and the Taiwan issue.

Rice is also scheduled to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan before leaving for Thailand on Sunday afternoon.

Source: Xinhua