State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said Tuesday that Sino-US relations are witnessing "sound development in general," while meeting with Thomas J. Vilsack, governor of Iowa.  

Tang told Vilsack that the Chinese government values friendly exchanges between China and the United States.

Currently, China and the US have 121 pairs of cities and 37 pairs of provinces and states that have forged friendly ties, Tang said. The partnerships will help close Sino-US relations.

Tang said that the exchange of visits by the two heads of state in the later half of this year will push forward China-US constructive cooperation.

Vilsack, who is in Beijing as guest of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said he will continue his efforts to further promote the friendship between Iowa and Hebei Province and contribute to the US-China relations.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2005)