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Zhang Zhijun, China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the US and China have agreed to kick off consultation on affairs concerning Asia Pacific in order to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the region. Zhijun made the comments during a press conference on Tuesday at the third round of US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) that concluded in Washington. “We do hope the launch of this mechanism will further promote sound interactions between our two countries in the Asia-Pacific region so that we can together make positive contributions to the peace, stability and development of the region,” the minister said. As far as the coordinators and participants of the consultation on Asia-Pacific affairs are concerned, Zhijun said it would include top officials from the US State Department and Chinese Foreign Ministry.