President Hu: China to work with US on trade gap
(Reuters/China Daily)
Updated: 2005-09-14 07:21

The meeting between Hu and Bush in New York is an important one for Sino-US relations, which are at "a crucial period" linking the past to the future, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang Monday at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

The talks between the two presidents in New York will not replace Hu's planned visit to Washington, which both sides agreed to postpone because of Hurricane Katrina, said Qin.

Later Wednesday, Hu will attend the opening ceremony of the UN summit and deliver speeches at the plenary session and high-level meeting on Development and Financing, as well as the Summit of the Security Council.

During the summit meeting, Hu will disclose a series of measures by China to enhance co-operation with developing nations, related to debts, development and other issues of concern, according to sources at the Foreign Ministry.

Before his departure for New York, Hu met his Mexican counterpart Vicente Fox on Monday and the two sides agreed to strengthen dialogues, enhance mutual trust and enrich the content of their strategic partnership.

They also witnessed the signing of a series of co-operative documents between the two nations concerning avoidance of double taxation, culture, plant quarantine, agriculture, social development and mining.

At a news briefing after the meeting, Hu said his talks with Fox were "fruitful" and they reached important consensus on the future development of bilateral relations, as the two countries enjoy a solid political base, wide-ranging common interests and broad development prospects.

They have agreed to further bilateral economic and trade co-operation, expand two-way investment and explore new areas for co-operation.

Addressing the Mexican Senate on the same day, Hu called on developing countries to strengthen dialogue, promote mutually beneficial co-operation and improve trade and investment to speed up their development.