Chinese President Hu Jintao met on Sunday with U.S. President George W. Bush on the sidelines of the G8 St. Petersburg summit.

According to Chinese officials, the two leaders exchanged views on a wide range of issues like the Sino-U.S. relations, the Iranian nuclear issue, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the Middle East crisis.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) shakes hands with US President George W. Bush during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 16, 2006.  (Xinhua Photo)

Hu, who arrived at St. Petersburg to attend the outreach session of the G8 summit, said that recently the Sino-U.S. relations have seen steady development, and the consensus on promoting the Sino-U.S. constructive cooperative ties has been implemented step by step.

China is willing to join hands with the United States to handle the bilateral ties from the strategic and long-term perspective, said Hu.

He also said that China is willing to make joint efforts with the U.S. to enhance cooperation in trade and economic development, energy, military affairs, counter-terrorism and non-proliferation, respect each other's concerns and properly handle the sensitive issues in bilateral ties.

Bush said that Hu's visit to the United States in April this year was very successful and fruitful.

The U.S. side attaches great importance to the U.S.-China relations, said Bush, adding that the U.S. is willing to enhance bilateral cooperation and promote the relations between the two countries.

Hu said China would continue to adopt measures to increase imports from the United States, tighten the protection of intellectual property rights, and actively, steadily and properly push forward the reform of the RMB exchange rate system.

He urged the U.S. side to consider and properly handle China's concerns on bilateral trade and economic cooperation, relax its limitations on high-tech exports to China, and create fair environment for the Chinese enterprises to undertake trade and investment in the United States.

Bush said that the United States values China's pledges on market access and protection of intellectual property rights and that China's economic growth is beneficial to the U.S. businesses for expanding their exporting markets.

Bush reiterated the U.S. adherence to the one-China policy and opposition to any unilateral action that might lead to "Taiwan independence."

Appreciating the U.S. stand, Hu said that he hoped that the U.S. side would be more explicit in opposing to and containing the separatist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence."

The two leaders also discussed the Iranian nuclear issue.

Hu said that China is against proliferation of nuclear weapons and holds that the issue should be properly resolved through diplomacy and negotiation.

What is pressing at present is to resume the negotiation as soon as possible, said the Chinese president. He added that China would continue to play a constructive role in resolving the issue through peaceful means.

Bush said that the U.S. side agreed to resolving the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomacy and in a peaceful manner, urging Iran to respond to the initiative tabled by the six countries as soon as possible.

In June this year, the United States, China, Britain, France, Russia and Germany offered Iran a package of incentives in a bid to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. But so far Iran has made no official response to the offer.

On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Hu said the key to resolving the issue is to resume the six-party talks as soon as possible.

Hu said that China would continue to commit itself to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, push forward the process of the six-party talks, and exert efforts to realize the goal of making the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons through peaceful means like dialogue and negotiation.

Bush said the U.S. side hopes for a peaceful solution to the issue, calling for resuming the six-party talks as soon as possible.

On the Middle East situation, Hu said China is greatly concerned with the turbulent situation in the Middle East, urging various side to maintain restraints, not to take any action that might lead to the deterioration of the situation, and to cooperate with the international community in efforts to finding a solution to the crisis.

Hu called for re-launching the process of the "roadmap."

Bush said that the international community should make efforts to prevent the situation from losing control.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Hu described his talks with Bush as friendly and candid.

Hu said that enhancing consultation and coordination on major international and regional issues is in the interest of both countries and of vital importance to world peace and stability.

From L to R)Republic of the Congo President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Brazilian President Lula Da Silva, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Mexican President Vicente Fox Quesada and South African President Thabo Mbeki pose for a group photo at the leader's meeting of the six developing countries in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 16, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

From L to R) Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper walk before Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, July 16, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

Editor: Yan