China and US stress vital ties in farm trade

China and the United States look forward to further improve the strong agricultural trade ties in the interests of the international community, said US Secretary of Agriculture Edward Schafer.

"Agriculture trading continues to be strong," Schafer said over the weekend in Shanghai after attending the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue in Beijing. "It is one of the strongest businesses that we have in the relationship between China and the United States."

China replaced Japan to be the third largest export market and biggest import market for US agricultural trade in 2007. Farm trade between the two countries totaled nearly US$20 billion last year.