Former US President Bill Clinton and President Jiang Zemin of China met for more than an hour on the fringes of a key economic conference in Hong Kong yesterday, despite increased strain in relations between both countries.
The official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, described the talks as "friendly". A spokesman for Mr Clinton said they were "very cordial" and involved a "wide-ranging discussion focused on China".
Both Mr Clinton, who left office in January, and the Bush administration stressed that the meeting was a private affair.
US-China relations appear to have undergone a fundamental shift since the Bush administration took over, with President Bush adopting a tougher line. Last week he ordered a review of all US government contacts with China.
US-Sino relations have been badly strained in recent months by a series of incidents, ranging from an 11-day US spy plane standoff to detention of a number of US citizens in China.
While little detail of the meeting was revealed, a spokesman for Mr Clinton said the Chinese leader could have viewed it as a chat with an "old friend" during troubled times.
In Washington, the Bush administration stressed that Mr Clinton was travelling in China as a private citizen. Before leaving, he was briefed by the National Security Adviser, Ms Condoleezza Rice, but this was "typical" for former presidents, a White House spokesman said.
Mr Jiang opened the Fortune Global Forum in Hong Kong, attended by 700 business leaders.
In another development, members of China's banned Falun Gong spiritual movement and political activists yesterday accused Hong Kong officials of using excessive force on protesters during Mr Jiang's visit.
Hundreds of Falun Gong members took to the streets during the visit, calling for the release of practitioners jailed in mainland China.