Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told visiting US President George W. Bush at noon Sunday that China's development will "threat nobody".

Premier Wen Jiabao meets with visiting US President George W. Bush November 20, 2005 in Beijing. [Xinhua]

He said China is still an economically undeveloped country and the large population and unbalanced development constitute its basic condition.

China's modernization requires lasting and unremitting efforts,which demands China to stick firmly to a peaceful development path and to strive for creating a peaceful international environment, said the premier.

This is China's strategic choice in line with its own development and it is not only in the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, but also conducive to the rest of the world, said Wen.

He said that reform and opening-up is a major decision that will determine China's fate, and China will push forward unswervingly various reforms covering economic, political, cultural and social management systems.

He said China's goal is to build a prosperous, strong, democratic and culturally advanced country, and China's stability and development constitute great contributions to human progress and world economic growth.

The Chinese government will continue to abide by an independent foreign policy of peace, develop friendship and reciprocal cooperation with all countries in the world including the United States on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and play a more positive role in international affairs so as to make its own contribution to world peace, security and cooperation, said Wen.

On bilateral relations, Wen pointed to the sound development momentum of bilateral ties with fruitful cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, science, technology and culture, and increasingly close coordination in areas of anti-terrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, regional hot spots and combating cross-border crimes.

He said China is the biggest developing country and the United States is the biggest developed country, and the two countries areboth permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and members of important international organizations.

To maintain a sound and stable Sino-US relationship directly concerns world peace and prosperity, the premier said, adding that facts have proven that bilateral common interests are increasing instead of decreasing.

Wen said bilateral constructive and cooperative relations willbe continued so long as the two sides treat bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, respect and take into consideration each other's concerns and properly handle differences.

As for bilateral economic and trade ties, Wen said the rapid growth of bilateral reciprocal economic and trade cooperation has not only brought about substantial benefits to the two peoples, but also promoted Asia-Pacific and world economic growth.

He stressed that the two countries should further expand and deepen bilateral economic and trade cooperation in the spirit of "development, equality and reciprocity", and constantly strengthen dialogues and cooperation in such areas as macroeconomic policy, trade and finance, on the basis of making full use of existing consultation and cooperation mechanisms.

Wen also called for more bilateral cooperation, especially in such fields as energy, public health and environmental protection,and strengthen dialogues and consultations on international economic policy and maintain the world free trade system.

China and the United States should properly resolve problems emerging from bilateral cooperation through dialogues on an equal footing and friendly consultations, so as to achieve a mutually beneficial and win-win situation, Wen said.

Bush said the United States and China share much "common interests" and bilateral relations should be continuously strengthened.

He said both sides expressed their willingness to increase dialogues in a cordial manner with regard to bilateral differences.

Bush voiced his attention to bilateral trade imbalance, saying that the two sides should make joint efforts to develop the China-US trade ties. He also pointed out that the two countries have conducted sound cooperation in international and regional affairs.

The two sides also exchanged views on some major international issues.

After the meeting, Wen held a working luncheon for Bush, during which they held in-depth talks on measures to further enhance China-US reciprocal cooperation and reached much consensus.