On August 12, 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao met in the Great Hall of the People with President pro tempore of the United States Senate Ted Stevens and his delegation. Both sides held talks in a friendly atmosphere.

Hu hailed the current Sino-U.S. relations, saying the two countries' leaders have kept frequent exchanges and reached important consensus on bilateral ties and other key issues. He noted the two sides have also strengthened strategic trust and promoted consultation, coordination and cooperation in various fields and on key international and regional issues.

As stakeholders and constructive cooperators, China and the United States should enhance exchange and understanding, expand cooperation and common strategic interest, and properly handle sensitive issues and each other's concerns in bilateral ties, he said. All of these will facilitate the long-term and steady development of the constructive cooperative Sino-U.S. relations and should be based on the principles of mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving difference, and mutual benefit, Hu noted.

On the exchange between Chinese and U.S. legislative bodies, Hu said that it served as a vigorous driving force for bilateral relations. He hoped that the National People's Congress, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives would continue to give play to the role of related exchange mechanisms and add up topics of dialogue in a bid to make new contributions to comprehensively advancing the constructive cooperative Sino-U.S. relations.

Stevens thanked President Hu for meeting with him and recalled with pleasure Hu's meetings with him and other Congressmen this April. He spoke highly of the important consensus reached between Hu Jintao and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush, which was expected to promote the Sino-U.S. relations in the 21st century. He thanked for Hu's interest and support for the exchange between the U.S. and Chinese legislative bodies, adding his talks with Wu Bangguo and Sheng Huaren will serve to strengthen understanding and mutual trust and make the delegation members believe that U.S.-China relations will witness greater progress with the joint efforts of both sides.

Sheng Huaren, Vice-Chairman and Secretary General of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and others attended the meeting.