China, US hold talks ahead of Xi-Obama meeting

BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi held talks with Tom Donilon, National Security Advisor to US President Barack Obama, on Monday in Beijing to prepare for the upcoming summit between the two countries' leaders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Obama will meet from June 7-8 in California, the first of this kind since both nations carried out their leadership transitions.

In preparation for the upcoming summit, Yang said Donilon's visit will help increase mutual trust and cooperation, as well as push forward the positive momentum of bilateral ties seen since the changes of government in both countries.

The sound, steady and growing China-United States relationship serves the fundamental interests of both countries and is conducive to peace, stability and development in the Asia-Pacific region as well as the world, he said.

He said China is ready to work with the US side to earnestly implement the consensus reached by both leaders and ensure that China-US relations will always stay on the right track from both strategic and long-term perspectives.

China hopes to enhance dialogue, exchanges and cooperation with the US side, as well as properly handle sensitive issues, in a bid to promote the sound and steady development of bilateral ties, Yang added.

President Obama is looking forward to President Xi's visit, because it is a very important meeting, said Donilon.

He said the meeting will be an important opportunity for the two presidents to have in-depth discussions on US-China relations and a wide range of regional and global challenges facing both countries.

Enhancing bilateral relations, increasing mutual trust and transparency, and developing a strong mechanism to manage differences, are all important for the construction of a new model for relations between major countries, said Donilon.

Donilon is scheduled to meet with President Xi on Monday afternoon.