On March 13, 2006, Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with the 23-member delegation of the American Society of Newspaper Editors headed by President Rick Rodriquez. Yang expounded the position of the Chinese government on the China-US relations and the Taiwan question and took questions on the Iraq, Iranian nuclear and Middle East issues, as well as on China's energy, environmental protection and other matters.

Yang welcomed the delegation's visit to China and indicated hope that this visit will contribute to understanding and friendship between the two countries and their people and push bilateral constructive cooperative relations for further development. Yang pointed out that bilateral relations have generally maintained sound development momentum and last year the heads of state of the two countries reached important consensus on comprehensively advancing China-US constructive cooperative relations in the 21st century. Both sides have conducted effective consultations, coordination and cooperation on bilateral and other major international and regional issues. To develop bilateral relations conforms to common interest of the two countries and their people and is conducive to peace, stability and development of the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large. China would like to make joint efforts with the US to build up understanding, expand consensus, deepen mutual trust, develop cooperation and properly handle differences so as to push for sound and steady development of bilateral relations. Rodriquez thanked China for receiving his delegation and noted that he will use this visit to gain a better understanding of China's development and changes.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors is the earliest and largest newspaper editing organization in the US. It is the first time for this society to form a delegation to visit China since 1978 and the participants of the delegation are mostly directing editors of major national or local newspapers throughout the US.