Premier Wen meets Clinton, Geithner

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao meets with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in Beijing, May 4 2012. [Photo by Xu Jingxing / China Daily]

BEIJING - Premier Wen Jiabao met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Friday.

Clinton and Geithner, special representatives of U.S. President Barack Obama, are in Beijing for the two-day China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), which started Thursday.

Wen thanked the special representatives of both sides for achieving substantial results during the dialogue.

China and the U.S. have conducted four rounds of the S&ED since 2009, Wen said, adding that the dialogue has become an important feature of bilateral ties and a major platform for enhancing communication and cooperation.

He said both countries should improve the quality and effectiveness of the dialogue in order to promote the development of bilateral ties.

Wen said the sustainable and steady development of the S&ED is the result of adhering to the principle of mutual respect, treating each other as equals and accommodating the major concerns of both parties.

"I would like to listen to the advice of our U.S. peers so that we can further develop our cooperation," he said.

Geithner extended President Obama's greetings to Wen and expressed gratitude to his Chinese counterparts.

In spite of multiple global challenges and uncertainties, the two economies have maintained growth and will continue to provide strong support for the global economy, he said.

Although the two countries face different challenges in their economic systems, they are making progress in strengthening bilateral economic ties, he said.

Clinton also agreed that the two sides have made progress in effectively establishing a cooperative relationship.

The fourth round of the S&ED is being co-chaired by Clinton and Geithner, as well as Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who are acting as special representatives of President Hu Jintao.