Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States is fruitful and of milestone importance to the bilateral relations, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters aboard the special plane which takes President Hu Jintao from the United States to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Li, who is accompanying Hu's visit to the US, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya, said Hu's US tour was concluded with important fruits as the two sides had made concerted efforts.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing holds a news conference during the 10th National People's Congress in Beijing March 7, 2006. [Reuters]

The visit promoted the comprehensive and constructive cooperation between China and the US after President Hu repeatedly said that China-US relations have progressed beyond bilateral relationship and have had more and more global influence and strategic significance.

Hu told his hosts on different occasions that China and the US shared extensive and important strategic interests in safe-guarding world peace and promoting mutual development as both were facing threats in the field of traditional and non-traditional security, Li said.

Hu said that developing Sino-US relations has not only met the needs of safeguarding the common interests of the two nations and two peoples, but also promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world.

The US side appreciated President Hu's remarks, Li said.

US President George W. Bush said the United States welcomed a peaceful and prosperous China and the two nations shared many strategic interests.

Bush said China was a key partner of the US in safeguarding world peace and that the cooperation between China and the US was expanding and had more global importance.

During Hu's tour, China and the US also agreed to take joint steps to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

President Hu appreciated President Bush and his government for reaffirming their one-China policy and the US commitment to the three Sino-U.S. communiques. Hu said China and the US shared mutual strategic interests in combating and containing "Taiwan independence."

President Bush told Hu that he understood China's concern about the Taiwan issue and that there was no change in the US policy on Taiwan.

Talking about bilateral economic and trade relations, Li said Hu's visit would strengthen the Sino-US cooperation in this field.

Hu said a mutually beneficial and win-win economic and trade cooperation between China and the U.S. would benefit the two peoples.

Explaining China's concept and road of development, President Hu said China would hold high the banner of peace, development and cooperation, pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, and commit itself to peaceful development.

Hu made it clear that a peaceful and developing China was an important force to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region as well as the world at large, which would also present a historic opportunity to the Sino-U.S. cooperation, Li said.

President Hu's U.S. tour has achieved the goal of promoting dialogue, improving mutual-trust, deepening cooperation and carrying the constructive and cooperative relations between the two countries to a new stage, said the Chinese foreign minister.

The visit will also be of essential and far-reaching importance to the sound and stable development of the Sino-US relations, he added.