US, China put on smiles after tensions

08:07, March 31, 2010      
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Signs of efforts by China and the United States to overcome their strained ties became noticeable Tuesday after the tensions caused by issues including the value of the yuan and Beijing's Internet policy.
Both capitals traded softened remarks Tuesday, less than two months before the highest-level meeting between the two sides since the recent spats at the next round of strategic and economic talks in China.
Beijing Tuesday welcomed US President Barack Obama's pledge to develop a "positive relationship" with China.
Foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang acknowledged the recent difficulties, saying they were not in the interests of the two countries.
"A good Sino-US relationship is in the fundamental interest of the two countries and their people, and is beneficial to peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world," Qin said in a statement.
He added that China "value the reaffirmation by the US side on its commitment to China on the Taiwan and Tibet-related issues."
The comments followed remarks by Obama, who said late Monday that the US would take concrete actions to steadily establish a partnership with China to deal with common challenges, as he received the new Chinese ambassador to Washington, Zhang Yesui.
On the same day, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg told reporters in Washington that the US remained unchanged on the one-China policy.
"It (the one-China policy) serves us very well. We have consistently through Demo-cratic and Republican administrations understood those agreements and principles to be the foundation of building an ever stronger relationship (with China)," Steinberg said.
Sun Zhe, director of the Center for US-China Relations at Tsinghua University, said the latest exchange of words was a "positive turn" in the bilateral relationship, which he attributed to China's effective diplomatic endeavors.
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