China and the United States on Wednesday coordinated their positions ahead of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in London in early April.

The two countries agreed to make joint efforts to ensure a positive outcome from the summit designed to tackle the current global financial and economic downturn.

Meeting for the second time within a month, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held formal talks at the State Department to exchange views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Yang and Clinton believed that efforts to combat the financial crisis should be a major area of cooperation between the two countries in the future.

They agreed that both sides should continue to strengthen dialogue and coordination on macro-economic policies. They also agreed to work together to oppose protectionism in various forms, deepen cooperation in economy, trade and investment, play their due roles in stabilizing the international financial situation, and promoting reform of the international financial system and institutions in a bid to facilitate an early recovery of the world economy.

Yang is in Washington on a five-day working visit to the United States as guest of Clinton.

(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2009)