U.S. relations this year. President Hu will also hold a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London. We appreciate the many preparations Britain has made for the financial summit.
To maintain steady and fast economic development in China is itself the biggest contribution China makes to international cooperation in meeting the financial crisis. Another important contribution we have made is that we have increased assistance to other developing countries, particularly African countries. We have also called upon other countries to honor their commitments to assistance. Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming headed a trade and investment promotion delegation to visit Europe. During the visit, Chinese companies had consultations with their counterparts in Britain, Germany and other countries on how to expand their business cooperation. They inked agreements and contracts worth more than $15 billion.
China was one of the first countries to make the announcement that it would attend the Washington summit and we are also one of the countries that are actively cooperating with Britain, host of the upcoming London summit, to ensure its success. I believe that with the joint efforts of all parties, positive results will be achieved at the London financial summit.
Climate change
At the end of this year, the UN will hold an important international conference on climate change in Copenhagen. I hope that all parties can work together to pursue the Bali Roadmap and achieve the desired results at the Copenhagen conference. The success of the meeting is very much dependent on the developing and developed countries observing the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities," contributing their respective shares and working together. China will continue to implement its National Climate Change Program, and make every effort to honor its commitment and contribute its due share to the success of the conference.
China-U.S. relations
Since the inauguration of the Obama administration in the United States, relations between China and the new U.S. Government have got off to a good start. President Hu Jintao and President Barack Obama had very good telephone conversations. They reached important agreement on working together to advance China-
U.S. relations. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had meetings and talks with the Chinese side during her recent visit to China. In the current international environment, China and the United States have broader common interests. We are ready to work with the new U.S. administration to push forward China-U.S. ties. We hope that the two sides will accommodate each other's core interests and continue to step up their exchange and cooperation.
China-Russia relations
It has been 13 years since China and Russia established their strategic partnership of coordination. China-Russia relations have come a long way in the past years and made a lot of progress, particularly in recent years. I believe we should make efforts in the following four areas this year:
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