Saying Washington and Beijing have a responsibility to co-operate more on global issues, the US secretary of state has announced that the two countries are to hold counterterrorism talks this year.

Hillary Clinton made the announcement at a Washington dinner welcoming Wu Bangguo, the head of China’s congress, on Thursday.

For his part, Wu called for better economic co-operation with the US and the removal of trade barriers protecting US industries from foreign competition.

He said his was the first visit to the US by a leader of China’s Congress in 20 years.

The counterterrorism talks Clinton announced on Thursday will be the first institutionalised discussion between the US and China, which already hold regular talks on political and economic issues.

Continuing dialogue

Clinton cited the nuclear standoffs with North Korea and Iran, climate change, non-proliferation, pandemic diseases and poverty reduction as possible areas for greater co-operation.