China's National People's Congress and the US Senate took yet another step to expand exchanges between them.
 
The two sides established a new conference mechanism at the beginning of the New Year in Hawaii.

The NPC and the US House of Representatives first created a conference mechanism in 1999.

Vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Sheng Huaren met with Ted Stevens, President Pro Tempore of the US Senate and US senator Daniel Inouye on January 2-3 in Hawaii and both sides agreed on the new plan.

In a Memorandum of Understanding they agreed to establish the NPC-US Senate Parliamentary Group.

Sheng will serve as chairman of the Chinese group, Stevens will serve as the chairman of the US group with Inouye serving as co-chairman.

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

The MOU says both sides agreed in principle that each group will pay one official visit to the other group once every two years.

To kick off the relationship, the first meeting will be held in August in Beijing and the second meeting will take place next year in Washington DC.

Vice-chairman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee Lu Congmin and Yang Jiechi, Chinese Ambassador to the United States were also present at the signing.

The conference mechanism was established against the backdrop of two meetings between President Hu Jintao and US President George W. Bush and Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to the United States at the end of last year.

Since 1999, the NPC and the US House of Representatives have had five conferences, Lu said.

The US side said the mechanism was fully supported by majority and minority leaders of the House, Lu said.

Experts on China-US relations yesterday applauded the move as a good channel for both sides to enhance understanding, dispel misunderstanding and narrow their differences.

Pan Shaozhong, professor of the Foreign Affairs College, said the mechanism will offer a good platform for both sides to discuss major international issues.

"The mechanism will operate effectively if both sides take co-operative attitudes and treat it seriously," Pan said.

Shen Jiru, professor of the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the two countries should enhance exchanges across the board and parliamentary co-operation is a parcel of it.

"It is easy for the craft brothers to communicate," Shen said, adding that both the NPC and the US Senate are legislatures.

(China Daily January 10, 2004)