Xi Jinping calls for renewed trust as US security adviser Susan Rice concludes three-day visit
Close encounter with US surveillance plane off Hainan one of the main points of contention as US national security adviser wraps up visit
Beijing and Washington must improve mutual strategic trust to manage their differences and avoid confrontation, President Xi Jinping said yesterday amid signs of new strains in their relationship.
Xi made the remarks to visiting US National Security Adviser Susan Rice in talks in which PLA intercepts of US surveillance planes topped the agenda.
A wide range of issues, including political reform in Hong Kong and the rise of the radical jihadist movement Islamic State, were raised during Rice's three-day stay, US officials said. The trip was meant to lay the groundwork for US President Barack Obama's visit to Beijing in November.
Xi said the two countries needed to lay a foundation of strategic mutual trust on which to build the "tower" of a new model of major power relations.
"The international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes … It is more important for China and the US to cooperate," state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.
The two sides should step up dialogue and respect each other's core interests, Xi said, calling for greater cooperation on security, finance and infrastructure.