The two sides exchanged views on international and regional issues and also discussed, among other questions, further developing and strengthening Sino-US relations.

Another Xinhua report from Washington quoted a White House official as saying that US President George W. Bush Friday discussed how to deal with the alleged threat posed by Iraq with the leaders of China, Russia and France, a White House official said.

Bush called Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Jacques Chirac, the official said.

"It's the beginning of the process that the president outlined on Wednesday to consult with friends and allies on how to remove the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and his relentless acquisition of weapons of mass destruction," said the official, who declined to give details of the talks.

All three countries have opposed US moves toward a military attack on Iraq. Bush is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair Saturday at the presidential retreat Camp David.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2002)