Chinese premier meets Zoellick

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met on Sunday in Beijing with US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick, who is here for the first China-US strategic dialogue slated for Monday.

Wen and Zoellick talked for over one hour and a half. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said they exchanged views on Sino-US relations and international issues of common concern. No details were available.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo was present at the talks. Dai will co-chair Monday's strategic dialogue, according to ministry sources.

The dialogue is a result of the consensus reached between Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President George W. Bush during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Chile last year.

The dialogue on Monday would be focused on China-US relations and other key international and regional issues of common concern, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier in a press release.

Source: Xinhua