1st LD: Xi raises six-point proposal for developing China-U.S. ties

Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday put forward a six-pronged proposal for next-stage development of China-U.S. relations.

Xi made the suggestions in his talks with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House, which culminated his four-day first state visit to the United States.

-- The two sides should maintain close exchanges and communication at all levels. Major bilateral mechanisms like the Strategic and Economic Dialogue and the High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange should be brought into full play.

-- The two countries should expand and deepen practical cooperation in various fields, including economy, trade, military, anti-terrorism, law enforcement, energy, environment and infrastructure.

-- China and the United States should promote people-to-people exchange and consolidate the social basis for bilateral relations.

-- The two countries should respect their differences in history, culture, tradition and social system, as well as development path and development stage, and learn from each other.

-- The two sides should deepen dialogue and cooperation in Asia-Pacific affairs.

-- They should jointly deal with regional and global challenges, enrich the strategic connotations of their relations, and provide the international community with more public goods.

The Chinese and the U.S. sides agreed to continue the endeavor to build a new model of major-country relationship between the two countries.

Noting that the China-U.S. relationship is one of the most important bilateral ties in the world, Xi pledged to push it forward along the right track.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 36 years ago, China-U.S. relations have forged ahead and achieved historic developments despite ups and downs.

Xi said since he and Obama reached consensus on building a new model of major-country relationship between their countries at the summit in Annenberg Estate in June, 2013, bilateral ties have kept making new progress, bringing abundant benefits to the people of the two nations and the world at large.

The president said China is ready to work with the United States to hold fast to principles of non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation, to constantly expand practical cooperation at bilateral, regional and global levels, to manage differences and sensitive issues in a constructive way, so as to push forward bilateral ties always along the right track.

Obama said the United States and China shared common interests on many issues and have made important progress in cooperation in many areas.

The U.S. side thanked China for its important role in such areas as Iran's nuclear issue, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and reconstruction in Afghanistan, Obama said, adding his country is willing to maintain close coordination with China in these respects.

The U.S. president called on the United States and China to also enhance cooperation in areas such as climate change, health care and in fight against smuggling of wild animals and plants.

Before visiting the U.S. capital, Xi concluded a busy two-and-a-half-day stay in the West Coast technology and aviation hub of Seattle, where he put forward a four-point proposal on developing a new model of major-country relationship between China and the United States.

The Chinese president will be in New York from Sept. 26 to 28 for a series of summits and meetings marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Endi