Top Chinese legislator meets U.S. president

Wu Bangguo (L), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, meets with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, the United States, Sept. 10, 2009.(Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

Wu Bangguo (L), chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, meets with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House in Washington, the United States, Sept. 10, 2009.(Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Visiting top Chinese legislator Wu Bangguo on Thursday met with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, was the first top Chinese legislator that has visited the United States during the past two decades.

Before meeting with Obama, Wu met U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at the White House. Wu will hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later in the day.

On Wednesday, Wu met U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, telling her that his visit aimed to promote further growth of the China-U.S. relationship, which is, in his words, one of the most important, dynamic and promising bilateral ties in the world.

Wu is here on a week-long official goodwill visit to the United States, the final leg of his three-nation tour to the Americas which also took him to Cuba and the Bahamas.