Sino-US dialogue begins

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met on Sunday with US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B Zoellick, who is in Beijing for the China-US strategic talks, the first such meeting of its kind, which is expected to be held biannually in the future. 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. Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo will meet with Zoellick during the two-day talks when they are expected to exchange views on bilateral ties and other international and regional issues, including the Mainland's relations with Taiwan and Japan.