The inter-parliamentary group of China's National People's Congress (NPC) and the US Senate have completed their first round of talks in Beijing.

The meeting starts a formal exchange mechanism between the NPC and the US Senate, which was established in January 2004.

So far, the US Senate has only established similar exchange mechanisms with Great Britain, Canada, Mexico and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

It is another major move to expand China-US parliamentary exchanges and cooperation since the NPC and the US House of Representatives first created a conference mechanism in 1999. The NPC and the US House of Representatives have since held five conferences.

The delegation, headed by Ted Stevens, president pro tempore of the Senate, is the highest-ranking group sent by the US Congress to China in nearly seven years.

The delegates include Senate Majority leader Bill Frist, Senator Daniel K. Inouye, co-chairman of the US side of the inter-parliamentary group, as well as members from the appropriations, intelligence, energy and natural resources, agricultural and commerce committees of the US Senate.

Stevens co-hosted the talks with Sheng Huaren, vice chairman and secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee, on Monday and Tuesday in Beijing.

The talks focused Taiwan issue and Sino-US relations.

China reiterated its stance on the question of Taiwan and urged the US to honor its commitment to the one-China policy and opposition to Taiwan independence.

China stressed that Hong Kong issues are its internal affair. The US representatives said that an introduction on the background of Hong Kong's political structure and related policies were necessary for them to better understand the issue.

The two sides agreed to handle possible trade frictions under the principles of development, equality and reciprocity.

They also reached consensus that China and the US should enhance coordination and cooperation in handling issues in connection with Korean Peninsula denuclearization, the Iraq war, counterterrorism and nonproliferation.

Both sides agreed to conduct regular exchanges and facilitate exchanges and dialogue at all levels between the NPC and the Senate.

Sheng will lead a Chinese delegation to the US next year to conduct the second round of talks.

"The visit has helped to improve contacts and dialogues between the NPC and the US Congress and the promotion of bilateral relations," said Jiang Enzhu, director of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee.

President Hu Jintao, NPC Standing Committee chairman Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao held separate meetings with the delegation during their stay in Beijing.

The senators left Beijing yesterday to continue their eight-day China visit in Gansu Province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in western China.

(China Daily August 6, 2004)