China's Xi meets US national security advisor ahead of Sept. visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice here on Friday ahead of his state visit to the United States next month.

"I look forward to continuing my conversation with President [Barack] Obama and to having in-depth exchanges on important issues of mutual interest," Xi told Rice.

He said China would like to work with the U.S. to make sure the China-U.S. relationship will enjoy sustainable and steady growth.

Hailing the conclusion of the Seventh Strategic and Economic Dialogue and the Sixth High-level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange in June, Xi said the two countries have maintained close exchanges since the beginning of this year.

Xi said a stable and growing China-U.S. relationship will not only benefit the people in both countries, but also go a long way to promoting peace and development in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

"We stand ready to work with the United States to further boost our practical cooperation bilaterally, regionally and globally, and effectively manage the sensitive issues between us in a constructive way, so as to make the China-U.S. relationship benefit the people of the two countries as well as the whole world," said the Chinese president.

During the meeting, Xi reiterated the significance of mutual trust, cooperation and communication between the two countries.

China is committed to building a new model of major-country relations with the United States, featuring no-conflict and no-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation, Xi said.

He looked forward to quickened negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement, more military-to-military exchanges, closer cooperation on energy and infrastructure, and enhanced dialogue and cooperation on global issues such as Asia-Pacific affairs and climate change and regional hot spot issues.

"China and the United States should manage issues of difference through communication, sincerely respect and take care of each other's core interests, and make efforts to expand common ground while reducing differences to maintain the big picture of stable development of the bilateral relationship," Xi said.

Rice, who is in Beijing to prepare for Xi's U.S. visit in September, said President Obama looks forward to continuing in-depth exchanges with the Chinese president on bilateral relations and international issues of common concern.

She said the U.S. will work with the China to make Xi's upcoming trip a "milestone in deepening our cooperation and strengthening our relationship."

President Obama thinks highly of the Chinese people's great contribution to the victory of World War II and the U.S.-China friendship forged during the war as China is set to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, Rice said.

Rice said President Obama attaches great importance to the relationship with China.

The U.S. looks forward to more positive results of cooperation and will make joint efforts with China to work through "issues of difference" to advance bilateral relations in a stable way, she said. Endi