Top legislator Wu Bangguo met the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert, in Beijing yesterday and they pledged to further regular legislative exchanges and cooperation.
  
Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), said the regular exchange mechanism between the NPC and the US Congress has progressed smoothly, and played a positive role in promoting relations.
  
Hastert said relations have made great progress in recent years, and hoped the NPC and the US House of Representatives can enhance dialogue through the mechanism.
   
"China and the US have enjoyed common interests and a foundation for cooperation although differences exist," said Wu, stressing that China would like to work with the US to view bilateral relations from a more strategic perspective.
   
On the Taiwan issue, Wu said China appreciates the Bush administration's adherence to a "one-China" policy and observance of the three Sino-US joint communiqués, and hoped the US Congress would do more to help improve cross-Straits relations without sending the "wrong signals" to separatists.
   
Hastert said the US welcomed new progress in relations across the Taiwan Straits.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2005)