Agenda set for Sino-US economic, trade meeting

 BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman for China's Ministry¹ of Commerce (MOC) said on Wednesday that China and the United States will exchange in-depth views on economic and trade issues at the upcoming 23rd meeting of the China-U.S. Joint² Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT).

China hopes the United States will respond positively³ to the concerns of the Chinese side, and together build a Sino-U.S. partnership⁴ of mutual⁵ respect and win-win results, said Shen Danyang of the meeting, set to be held in Washington from Dec. 18 to 19.

Shen said that China and the United States are closely tied in commerce and trade, with each being the other's second-largest trade partner. In 2011, the two countries' bilateral⁶ trade volume hit 446.6 billion U.S. dollars, according to official Chinese statistics.

Chinese Vice⁷ Premier⁸ Wang Qishan will co-chair the upcoming meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank and Trade Representative Ron Kirk, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said on Wednesday.

The JCCT is a platform for China and the United States to promote bilateral trade ties and address issues of mutual concern. It has held 22 meetings since its establishment in 1983.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

6 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。