Sheng Huaren, vice chairman and secretary-general of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), exchanged views with US Senate President pro tempore Ted Stevens on relations and parliamentary exchanges between the two countries in Hawaii on Wednesday and Thursday, and the two sides reached wide-ranging consensus.

 

Sheng, also chairman the NPC Sino-US (Senate) parliamentary group, was in Hawaii at the invitation of Stevens, chairman of the US-China parliamentary group in the Senate, for a meeting of leaders of the two parliamentary groups.

 

The two sides hailed the progress in Sino-US relations in recent years, and emphasized that fully implementing the series of important consensus reached by President Hu Jintao and US President George W. Bush, is of vital importance in maintaining and developing the constructive relationship of cooperation between the two countries.

 

They agreed that the two sides should make concerted efforts to create a friendly atmosphere to ensure Hu's scheduled visit to the US this year a success.

 

Sheng and Stevens reviewed and affirmed the positive achievements of the parliamentary conference mechanism since it was set into motion two years ago, and held discussions on the mechanism's direction and its agenda for 2006.

 

They agreed that parliamentary exchanges are an important part of relations between the two countries, and a regular conference mechanism provides an effective platform for the two sides to enhance understanding, deepen trust, and expand consensus. Such a mechanism should be maintained and developed in depth over a long period of time, they said.

 

They also agreed that the third formal session of the parliamentary conference mechanism would be held in Beijing in August this year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2006)