Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo held talks with visiting US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte in Beijing on Saturday afternoon.

This is Negroponte's first official trip abroad since he took the post as deputy secretary of state on February 27.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Dai told Negroponte that the two countries should always treat and deal with bilateral relations from a "strategic height" and a "long-run perspective".

Dai said both countries should strengthen dialogue, enhance mutual trust and develop cooperation, and properly handle the sensitive problems in bilateral relations, the Taiwan issue particularly, to promote the overall and in-depth development of China-US constructive and cooperative relations.

Negroponte said the relationship between the Untied States and China is very important and the US government attaches great importance to the relationship, and his trip is a right step for continuing the strategic dialogue between the two countries.

He said the US hopes to conduct broader and more strategic exchanges and cooperation with China, to jointly promote the continuous development of US-China relations.

Dai stressed that China firmly follows the path of peaceful development and is devoted to promoting the construction of a harmonious world featuring lasting peace and common prosperity, under the joint efforts of the international community.

China's development is an opportunity to both the US and the world, said Dai, adding it is in the interests of both peoples to deepen the constructive and cooperative relations between China and the US, and also conducive to world peace, stability and development.

Echoing Dai's remarks, Negroponte said the US appreciates and welcomes China's development and views China as a constructive partner, adding the continuous development of US-China relations is conducive to the world.

The two agreed to continue the China-US strategic dialogue, in accordance with the consensus reached between the two heads of state, and the next dialogue will be held in Washington.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also met with Negroponte. They highly appraised the current bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields.

Yang asked the US side to scrupulously abide by its commitments, stop selling weapons to Taiwan, not to send any wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" forces, and jointly safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and the overall situation of China-US relations.

Negroponte said the United States will stick to the one-China policy and abide by the three China-US joint communiqués.

Negroponte's March 1-6 Asian tour also includes Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Negroponte was sworn in as US deputy secretary of state on February 27, following President George W. Bush nominated him in January to take the post, which had been vacant since Robert Zoellick left office last July.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2007)