Spotlight: Xi, Obama hold "fruitful and constructive" summit

Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Friday that his summit meeting with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama was "fruitful and constructive."

Xi made the remarks at a joint press conference with Obama after their talks in the White House.

After 36 years of development, he said, the interests of China and the United States have been deeply interconnected with greater responsibilities for world peace and human progress.

"The Chinese side stands ready to work with the United States, upholding a spirit of perseverance, to advance bilateral relations for further progress, so as to better benefit the two peoples and the people around the world," he said.

During their talks, Xi said, he told Obama that China is making all-around efforts to deepen reform, implement the rule of law, and strengthen discipline of the Communist Party of China (CPC), so as to realize the goal of comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society.

He pledged that China will not stop reform and opening-up and is firmly committed to the path of peaceful development.

"China is committed to developing friendly cooperative relations with all countries in the world," Xi said.

It is a priority in China's foreign policy to work with the United States to build a new model of major-country relationship featuring non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, added the Chinese president.

EXTENSIVE EXCHANGES OF VIEWS

On the issue of the South China Sea, Xi said, China and the United States have shared "a lot of common interests."

Both China and the United States support the maintenance of peace and stability in the South China Sea, as well as a peaceful solution to disputes among directly concerned parties through negotiations and consultations, he said.h The two countries also support the freedom of navigation and overflight that countries enjoy according to international law and the management of differences through dialogue, he added.

Xi noted that both China and the United States support the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and an earlier completion of negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea based on consensus.

The two sides have agreed to continue to maintain constructive communication on relevant issues, said the Chinese president.

As for the joint fight against cyber crimes, Xi said China and the United States have reached important consensus, stressing bilateral dialogue and cooperation on cyber issues.

He said the two countries have agreed to step up investigation assistance and information sharing on cyber crime cases.

Both governments would not engage in or knowingly support online theft of intellectual property, he said, adding that the two sides will explore the formulation of appropriate norms of behavior in cyber space.

The two countries have also agreed to establish a high-level dialogue mechanism and hotline links on the fight against cyber crimes, the Chinese president said.

In addition, Xi expressed the hope that cyber issues would not turn into a point of confrontation between the two sides.

"China and the United States are two major countries in the internet sphere and we should strengthen dialogue and cooperation," Xi said. "Confrontation and friction are not the right choice for both sides."

Speaking of democracy and human rights, the Chinese president said they are the common pursuits of human kind, noting that the rights of people in different countries to choose their own development path must be respected.

The Chinese people are in the process of realizing the Chinese Dream of the great revitalization of the nation, and in essence, it is a process that promotes social justice and advances human rights, he said.

Xi said China is willing to conduct human rights dialogue with the United States based on equality and mutual respect, so as to expand consensus, narrow differences, learn from each other, and make progress together.

NEW MODEL OF MAJOR-COUNTRY RELATIONSHIP

When asked about China-U.S. relations, Xi stressed that today's world has entered into an era of economic globalization where countries are interdependent upon each other.

"People should give up the old concepts of 'you lose, I win' or 'zero-sum game,' and establish a new concept of peaceful development and win-win cooperation," he said.

The sound development of both China and the United States is conducive to each other and the whole world, he noted, saying the two countries' common interests go far beyond their differences.

"I sincerely hope that both China and the United States, in the fundamental interests of the two peoples and people around the world, will make concerted efforts to build a new model of major-country relationship between them," Xi said.

Xi said China welcomes the active participation of all concerned parties, including the United States, in China-proposed initiatives like the Belt and Road and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, adding that they are open, transparent and inclusive.

For his part, Obama expressed appreciation for China's commitment to cooperation with the United States, saying it will not only be conducive to the two countries, but also benefit the world at large.

He said he exchanged honest, constructive views with Xi on such topics as trade and economy, investment, cyber security, the South China Sea, human rights, people-to-people exchanges, the Iranian nuclear issue, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Afghanistan's reconstruction, climate change and peacekeeping efforts.

The two sides have deepened mutual understanding and reached important consensus, he said.

Obama reaffirmed the One-China policy, saying a stable, prosperous and peaceful China will play a constructive role in international affairs. Endi