China hails progress in ties with USA after naval accord signed

Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian has hailed a naval accord signed with the USA during the current visit of his US counterpart, William Cohen.

Quoted by Xinhua news agency, Chi said it indicated "substantial progress" in bilateral ties.

"The agreement demonstrates that substantial progress has been made on the development of relations between China and the United States, as well as between the two armies," Chi said.

"The agreement, which displays the positive efforts made by the two countries, will be conducive to ensuring peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific Region and the world at large."

"We sincerely hope the two countries will continue their efforts to ensure that the agreement will be implemented smoothly and that the mechanisms will not only enhance trust and understanding, but also strengthen cooperation," said Chi.

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.