From June 20 to 21, 2007, China and the United States held their fourth round of strategic dialogue in Washington and the state of Maryland. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte co-chaired the dialogue meeting, at which both sides had a frank and in-depth exchange of views on issues concerning Sino-U.S. relations that are of strategic, long-term and overall significance, as well as major international and regional issues of mutual concern.

 

Both sides reviewed major developments in bilateral ties in recent years and agreed to further implement important consensus reached between Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President George W. Bush. Both sides agreed to further broaden common interests, facilitate exchanges and cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and enhance strategic mutual trust to ensure a sound and steady development of bilateral relations. Both sides agreed that the Taiwan issue should be handled properly to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and the overall bilateral relationship.

 

The two sides also discussed a wide range of issues, including the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula and regional security in Northeast Asia, the Iranian nuclear issue, Sudan's Darfur, global climate change, energy security and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and agreed to increase dialogue, coordination and cooperation in these areas to enrich global significance and strategic content of bilateral relationship and promote world peace, stability and prosperity.

 

This strategic dialogue, at which lots of consensus was reached, helps to build mutual understanding and trust, and is of positive significance to advancing Sino-U.S. constructive cooperative relations. Both sides agreed to hold the next round of strategic dialogue in Beijing by the end of this year.

 

The dialogue mechanism, established in accordance with the consensus reached in 2004 between President Hu and President Bush, is an important platform for the two countries to communicate on strategic and political level. The first three dialogue meetings were held respectively in August and December 2005 and in November 2006.