Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Washington Tuesday that China-United States cooperation is conducive to stability in the Asia-Pacific region as well as to peace and development in the world.  

Addressing a dinner hosted by nine American organizations, the premier, who arrived here Monday on his first official visit to the United States since taking the office early this year, said China-US cooperation has played, and will continue to play, a positive role in safeguarding stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

"This is a role that cannot be replaced," Wen stressed.

He said China and the United States had established a mechanism of mid and long-term anti-terrorism exchange and cooperation based on the principle of "equality, cooperation, reciprocity and mutual benefit."

Also, China and the United States, together with parties concerned, had conducted fruitful cooperation over a peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

Modern world history shows it is the economy and national interests rather than ideologies that underpin the cooperation between big countries, the premier pointed out.

"Cooperation between China and the United States shows countries with different social systems and cultural traditions can coexist in peace and enjoy common development provided that they set store by their peoples' fundamental interests, and respect and tolerate each other," he said.

"This will be an example of global significance showing the world how big countries can transcend ideological differences and develop cooperation on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence."

The nine American organizations hosting the dinner were the National Committee on US-China relations, the US-China Business Council, the America-China Forum, the Asia Society, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Committee of 100, the Council on Foreign Relations, the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-China Policy Foundation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 10, 2003)