China's top trade union leader Wang Zhaoguo met with a group of U.S. union leaders on Monday, and both pledged to explore new ways to cooperate.

The U.S. delegation, headed by Change to Win President Anna Burger, kicked off a ground breaking China tour last Friday, ending a decades-long boycott of China by U.S. labor groups. Change to Win is a coalition of U.S. unions representing six million workers.

"The Chinese trade union treasures its relations with the Change to Win, and expects more exchanges and cooperation between the two sides on a basis of equal negotiation," said Wang, president of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and a senior Chinese legislator.

He told the U.S. union leaders he hopes their meeting will initiate a new chapter for union exchanges between the two countries.

Burger said many union chiefs in the delegation had gained more understanding about the Chinese trade unions through the current trip. They even found some similarities with the Chinese counterparts.

Service Employees International and the Farm Workers Union are among the unions that sent delegates.

"Although there are differences in political systems and ideologies, the two countries' unions face the same mission of maintaining workers' rights," said Burger.

As the world is confronted with sophisticated and profound changes, workers and unions of various countries need to strengthen exchanges, dialogue and cooperation to face the challenges, Wang said.

He also called for unions in both countries to work closely to promote a new international union movement featuring fairness, rationality and democracy.

The U.S. union leaders are here to set up cooperative ties with ACFTU and set up a regular exchange mechanism. Before heading to China, James Hoffa, a delegation member and President of the Teamsters, told reporters it's important to develop a dialogue with the 100-million member ACFTU.

They also planned to discuss the criticisms raised by U.S. companies of China's draft contract labor law with the American Chamber of Commerce in Beijing.