China, U.S. to cooperate in space exploration, high-speed rail construction

BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao met here with visiting U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday. Both leaders agreed to start cooperation in new fields of space exploration and high-speed railway construction.

Hu said both leaders agreed to deepen cooperation between China and the United States on the basis of mutual benefits in areas such as anti-terrorism, law enforcement, science and technology, agriculture, health care and civil aviation.

The two leaders also initiated to start cooperation in new areas like space exploration and high-speed railway infrastructure construction, and keep promoting greater development in military relations.

Obama and Hu also discussed to expand cultural exchanges between the two nations, especially youth exchanges, and supported both sides to set up a cultural exchange mechanism and to strengthen cooperation on dispatching more students to each other countries.

Obama is paying a four-day visit to China, his maiden trip to China since taking office in January.