President Xi Jinping meets John Kerry, says Sino-US relations solid
Chinese president tells US secretary of state that both nations should respect each others' core interests and choice of development path
Top Chinese leaders yesterday urged the United States to settle its differences with Beijing on the basis of mutual respect, after declaring Sino-US relations solid during meetings with US Secretary of State John Kerry.
President Xi Jinping said the relationship between the two countries was "at a new phase and on a good footing" when receiving Kerry, who is making his first official trip to China since taking up his post in February.
"These meetings reflect the great importance both China and the US place on bilateral ties," Xi told Kerry. "Both nations should respect each others' core interests and choice of development path, to properly settle differences and avoid any disturbance to bilateral ties."
Xi acknowledged differences between the world's biggest and second-largest economies. He called on both sides to "accommodate" each other and show "mutual respect".
In a separate meeting, Premier Li Keqiang toldKerry that the mutual benefits of co-operation "far outweigh" their differences.
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew visited Beijing as a special representative of US President Barack Obama less than a week after Xi took power.
Kerry said yesterday that both sides had agreed to set up a working group to improve cybersecurity.