A good Sino-U.S. relationship benefits not only China and the United States but the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large as well, Chinese President Hu Jintao said during his meeting with former U.S. President Bill Clinton in Washington Wednesday.

Hu expressed his appreciation for Clinton's contributions to the development of Chinese-American relations.

He said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries more than 30 years ago, bilateral relations as a whole have been continuously advanced despite some hardships.

Bilateral cooperation in various fields has also been constantly expanded, Hu said, not only bringing substantial benefits to the peoples of the two countries, but also contributing to world peace and development.

The Chinese president said that a good Sino-U.S. relationship is in accordance with the fundamental benefits of the two countries and their people. A good relationship, Hu said, also is beneficial to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region and the world at large.

The Chinese president said that currently China and the United States share more and more common interests. He urged the two countries to strengthen their political mutual trust, boost economic cooperation, promote people-to-people contacts, and reinforce communications and coordination on international issues.

Hu also said that his visit to the United States is aimed to build up mutual trust, deepen cooperation and to push advancement of the positive, cooperative and comprehensive Sino-U.S. relationship in the 21st century.

For his part, Clinton said he was glad for President Hu's visit to the United States.

The former American president said he has been committed to deepening the mutual understanding of the two countries, boosting bilateral cooperation, expanding common interests and properly dealing with disagreements, which he believes are crucial to the development of bilateral relations.

Clinton expressed admiration for China's efforts to tackle the AIDS problem, saying he is willing to reinforce cooperation with China in this respect, to which President Hu actively responded.