Zhang Dejiang meets bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group

BEIJING, March 17 -- Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang called on more U.S. lawmakers to visit China to expand common ground while meeting with a delegation from the U.S. Congress on Monday.

Zhang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the call during his meeting with a delegation from the bipartisan U.S.-China Working Group (USCWG) of the U.S. Congress, a group focused on educating members and staff about U.S.-China issues through meetings and briefings with academic, business and political leaders from the United States and China.

Congressmen Charles Boustany and Rick Larsen, co-chairs of the USCWG, led the eight-member delegation on its China visit.

Zhang briefed the delegation on the just-concluded annual session of China's legislative body, saying the session set the goal and tasks for China's economic and social development this year and reflected the country's commitment to the path of peaceful development.

On China-U.S. relations, Zhang said it is in the fundamental interests of the two countries to build a new model of relations between major powers, an important consensus reached between presidents of the two countries.

Zhang called on the two countries to respect each other, step up cooperation, manage differences and implement the consensus.

Zhang said the NPC places great importance on exchanges with the U.S. Congress and welcomes more visits to China by U.S. lawmakers so as to increase consensus and seek steady and healthy development of bilateral relations.

Boustany and Larsen said they would like to contribute to deeper friendship between the two peoples, according to the statement issued by the NPC.