Foreign Ministers from China and the United States had their first face-to-face meeting yesterday following the EP-3 spy plane incident in April which killed a Chinese pilot and pitched bilateral relations to their lowest point in several years.

The "constructive and co-operative relations" developed by China and the United States are in the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries, said Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan in meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Sino-US relations are now facing both challenges and opportunities, Tang was quoted by Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi as saying. Tang added that China hopes the two countries could observe the principles of the three China-US joint communiques and appropriately deal with existing differences so as to push the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.

Powell was also quoted as saying in the meeting that the United States "does not regard China as an enemy, and the United States does not need an enemy in any sense" in the region.

Both Tang and Powell came to Viet Nam to attend the eighth annual meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Powell will visit Beijing over the weekend after the meeting in Hanoi and Tang called yesterday's one-hour meeting a "prelude" to his visit.

Tang told Powell that China-US relations are at an important juncture following difficulties in the past. Through the joint efforts of both sides, these ties have been subject to some improvement and development.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin and US President George W. Bush will meet in October in Shanghai during the APEC summit meeting. After that, Bush will make a formal visit to China.

"We think the visit (of President Bush) is of crucial importance to Sino-US relations in the new century," Tang said.

China is willing to join with the United States in making good preparations for the October summit as well as President Bush's visit to China, according to Tang.

China will play a bigger role in the global economy after its accession to the World Trade Organization, said Powell.

The United States thinks it is necessary to develop friendly co-operation between China and the United States to face the future.

Although the two countries have some differences, the United States will seek solutions in a very straightforward manner through discussions and dialogue, Powell was quoted as saying.

Both China and the United States are facing the task of maintaining peace and promoting development, and the United States is willing to strengthen co-operation with China to create a peaceful international environment.

(China Daily 07/26/2001)