ON DECEMBER 13, 2008, CHINESE STATE COUNCILOR DAI BINGGUO, WHO IS IN THE UNITED STATES ON A WORKING VISIT FOR THE SIXTH STRATEGIC DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES, MET SEPARATELY WITH FRIENDLY PERSONAGES INCLUDING FORMER U.S. SECRETARIES OF STATE MADELINE ALBRIGHT AND COLIN L. POWELL, AS WELL AS FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR BRENT SCOWCROFT AND JOHN HAMRE, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES. BOTH SIDES EXCHANGED VIEWS ON CHINA-U.S. RELATIONS AND OTHER ISSUES OF COMMON CONCERN.

DAI SAID OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, CHINA-U.S. RELATIONS HAVE ACHIEVED ENORMOUS DEVELOPMENT WITH THE JOINT EFFORTS OF BOTH SIDES. CURRENTLY THE RELATIONSHIP IS AT AN IMPORTANT PIVOTAL PERIOD. CHINA IS READY TO MAKE JOINT EFFORTS WITH THE U.S. TO MAINTAIN HIGH-LEVEL EXCHANGES AND CONTACTS AT ALL OTHER LEVELS, ENHANCE DIALOGUE, EXCHANGES AND COOPERATION, PROPERLY HANDLE DIFFERENCES AND SENSITIVE ISSUES AND CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCE BILATERAL CONSTRUCTIVE COOPERATIVE RELATIONS. HE URGED BOTH SIDES TO MAKE EFFORTS TO PUSH FOR GREATER PROGRESS OF CHINA-U.S. RELATIONS IN THE NEXT 30 YEARS IN A BID TO BRING MORE BENEFITS TO THE TWO PEOPLES AND THE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE.

THE U.S. SIDE NOTED THEY WERE GRATIFIED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF U.S. RELATIONS OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES, HOLDING THAT WITH 30 YEARS OF EFFORTS, BILATERAL TIES HAVE ENJOYED A SOUND BASIS. THE STRATEGIC DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES IS FRUITFUL WITH COOPERATION CARRIED OUT IN A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS. AS THE TWO COUNTRIES SHARE BROAD COMMON INTERESTS, THEY CAN FURTHER COOPERATION ON ISSUES SUCH AS COPING WITH THE FINANCIAL CRISIS, CLIMATE CHANGE, TRADE, COUNTER-TERRORISM, ANTI-PROLIFERATION, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. THE U.S. SIDE OPTIMISTICALLY VIEWED THE FUTURE OF THE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS, THEY ADDED.