Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton here Friday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Yang said that the two countries should maintain and actively advance the bilateral relations, which complies with the interests of both parties and also the expectation of the international community.

Both China and the United States are major nations in the Asia- Pacific region and China is willing to work with the United States and other Asia-Pacfic countries to strengthen dialogue, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation and jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity, Yang said.

As to the South China Sea issue, Yang said that China and ASEAN countries have recently reached agreement on the guidelines of implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which lays a solid foundation for practical cooperation in the area and demonstrates that China and ASEAN countries have the ability and wisdom to settle the disputes.

Yang said there is no threat to the freedom of navigation and security in the South China Sea and the Chinese side is consistently committed to maintaining the freedom of navigation and security in the area.

Clinton said the United States understands the sensitivity of the Tibet and Taiwan issues. She reiterated that the United States adheres to one-China policy and respects China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

She said the United States understands that the South China Sea issue is of great complexity and the U.S. side takes no position on the issue.

The United States has no intention of getting involved in the disputes or making it a problem in China-U.S. relations, the secretary said, adding that the United States supports measures conducive to the settlement of the disputes.

The two sides also reached consensus on cooperation in such areas as food security, urban search and rescue and disaster relief.

They also exchanged views on East Asia Summit, the situation in Korean Peninsula and South Asia issues.

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