?Hu said the S&ED has resulted in both parties reaching several significant agreements.

? Hu expressed appreciation for the "excellent work" accomplished by both sides.

? The fourth round of the S&ED is being held in Beijing from Thursday to Friday.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (2nd L) and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (L) in Beijing, capital of China, May 4, 2012. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

President Hu Jintao on Friday hailed the "positive results" of the latest round of a high-level dialogue between China and the United States as he met with U.S. negotiators attending the annual gathering.

Hu said the fourth round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) has resulted in both parties reaching several significant agreements.

He expressed appreciation for the "excellent work" accomplished by both sides.

Hu made the remarks while meeting with the U.S. delegation to the S&ED, which is headed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, special representatives of U.S. President Barack Obama.

The fourth round of the S&ED is being held in Beijing from Thursday to Friday.

Hu called for the two sides to fully utilize the talks in strengthening strategic communication, enhancing mutual trust and advancing strategic cooperation in order to contribute to the development of the cooperative partnership between China and the United States.

Hu said both sides should adopt a long-term view and proceed from the basic interests of their respective peoples in enhancing mutual trust and expanding cooperation.

Hu called for the two sides to respect each other's core interests and appropriately address differences in order to create a better future for China-U.S. relations.

Clinton said the U.S.-China relationship is stronger than it has ever been.

"There is a lot of work ahead of us, but we will find more and more opportunities for cooperation," she said.

She said the fourth round of the dialogue has seen excellent results so far, adding that the partnership between China and the U.S. conforms with the common interests of both countries.

The U.S. side expressed a wish to work with China to maintain high-level contact, bridge differences, expand cooperation and address difficulties and challenges.

Geithner said he appreciates China's firm commitment to advancing economic reform and opening its market. He said the U.S. side is working to build a closer and stronger economic relationship with China.

Initiated by the heads of state of the two countries, the annual S&ED has become a major channel for high-level communication between China and the U.S. The heads of more than 20 government agencies on both sides are attending the gathering this year.

President Hu attended the opening ceremony of the dialogue on Thursday.