Dialogue has become an essential medium for countries seeking common ground while trying to bridge differences.

That is what should be expected of the fourth round of the Sino-US Strategic Dialogue, which starts today in Washington, led by Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and his US counterpart, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

The agenda for this round of dialogue was already set by President Hu Jintao and President George W. Bush during their meeting earlier this month during the G8 summit in Germany's Baltic resort of Heiligendamm. It took place two weeks after the second round of Sino-US Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), held in Washington in late May.

The frequency with which the two countries' top officials meet and exchange ideas indicates that both recognize the importance of increasing mutual trust and expanding consensus while finding better ways to address key subjects of bilateral as well as global concern.

Take the Taiwan question. The peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits is of common strategic interest to the US, China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Meanwhile, following the SED meeting, both countries should redouble efforts to keep the strategic economic dialogue moving forward despite Congressional politicization of trade issues.

Both countries also have crucial roles to play in global issues. Cooperation and negotiation, instead of finger-pointing and unilateral action, are the best solutions for resolving nuclear issues - as exemplified by the Six-Party Talks - and conflicts such as the one in Sudan's Darfur region.

When the world is confronting energy shortages, environmental degradation and climate change, the areas for cooperation between the largest developed country and the largest developing country have broadened. They share opportunities for mitigating the negative effects of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions while seeking energy efficiency to protect the earth.

All these concerns are of strategic importance to both countries and to the world. So the outcome of the dialogue, especially the understandings the two sides reach to achieve common goals, will benefit both countries and the world.

(China Daily 06/20/2007 page10)