China and the United States pledged yesterday to work together on a wide range of issues, including anti-terrorism initiatives and law enforcement cooperation and to talk about manned space flights and space exploration.

President Hu Jintao and visiting US President Barack Obama also agreed to develop a "partnership" to deal with global challenges, including climate change, the economic recovery and nuclear non-proliferation during their talks in Beijing.

The leaders also agreed that "each country and its people have the right to choose their own path, and all countries should respect each other's choice of a development model," according to a joint statement released by the nations yesterday.

Hu will visit the US next year at the invitation of Obama, the statement added.

"The two sides reiterated that the fundamental principle of respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity is at the core of the three Sino-US joint communiqus which guide China-US relations," the statement said.

Obama reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the one-China policy and told journalists: "The US respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China."

The leaders stressed they will also work together for a "positive outcome" at the Copenhagen Climate Summit.

China has a clear and consistent goal on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Hu said, adding that Beijing hopes all parties will make the best of the opportunities and return to the negotiating table.

Echoing Hu, Obama said the US also wants to see the resumption of Six-Party Talks and will push for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Hu said the many agreements resulted from "frank, constructive and fruitful" discussions that he and Obama had yesterday in the Great Hall of the People.

Both leaders "agreed to continue to adopt strategic and long-term perspective, increase dialogue, exchanges and cooperation and work together to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-US relationship for the 21st century," Hu said when he met the press alongside Obama after the talks.

The leaders' press conference and the official welcoming ceremony were broadcast live on China's national television network CCTV.

Both heads of state were committed "to take concrete action to steadily grow a partnership between the two countries to meet our common challenges," Hu said.

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