Visiting top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo and US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reached important consensus in wide-ranging talks on issues such as bilateral relations and inter-parliamentary cooperation in Washington Wednesday.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), highlighted the growth of China-US ties since China and the United States forged diplomatic relations 30 years ago, noting the relations were now at a new level.

"China-US ties have already become the most important and the most dynamic ones in the world with great potential to develop," Wu said.

He pointed out that China and the United States shared extensive common interests in global issues, such as tackling the international financial crisis and climate change. He called on the two sides to work more closely, which would not only serve the two nations' interests, but also contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

Wu said the Chinese government attached great importance to China's relations with the United States, and that China was determined to work with the US in handling the relationship from a long-term and strategic perspective.

Pelosi extended a warm welcome to Wu and the NPC delegation, saying that her previous visit to China offered her an opportunity to witness much that China had done to address the international financial crisis and deal with global climate change.

Pelosi said the US-China relationship was the most important in the 21st century and bore vital significance to maintaining peace, stability and development of the world. She hoped the dialogue and coordination between the two sides would intensify with the aim of addressing global challenges and promoting common development.

Wu said one of the purposes of his visit to the United States was to help forge a closer relationship between the NPC and the US Congress and to get the two legislative bodies to play a positive and constructive role in helping to step up bilateral relations.

Pelosi said the US Congress was looking at establishing further exchanges and cooperation with the NPC and pledged to help boost ties between the two nations to a higher level.

The two parliamentary leaders also conferred on issues such as China-US trade relations, energy, environment as well as the nuclear issues in Iran and on the Korean Peninsula.

After his talks with Pelosi, Wu met Daniel K. Inouye, president pro tempore of the US Senate, and called for full play to be given to the regular exchange mechanism already established between the two sides with support from the NPC and US Senate to promote cooperation, especially that at the provincial level.

As Pelosi's guest, Wu arrived in Washington on Tuesday. It is the first official visit to the United States made by a top Chinese legislator in the past two decades.

The Unites States is the final leg of Wu's three-nation Americas tour, which also took him to Cuba and the Bahamas.

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2009)