WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The visit of Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi to the United States will help set the course for bilateral engagement and cooperation in the future, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said here on Saturday.
Lu told the media that Yang's visit on Feb. 8-9 is the first face-to-face engagement between high-ranking officials of the two nations after U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in Beijing in November.
He said the visit has enabled the two sides to exchange views on bilateral ties and important international and regional issues of mutual concern, which is conducive to implementing the consensus reached by the two leaders during their Beijing meeting.
MAINTAINING HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE MECHANISM
During Yang's two-day visit, the two countries announced to hold the second round of the Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in China during the first half of the year.
Beijing and Washington will also continue to hold the Law Enforcement and Cyber Security Dialogue, the Social and Cultural Issues Dialogue, and the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue in 2018.
The announcement dispels questions whether the four high-level dialogues, established during last year's Mar-a-Lago meeting between Xi and Trump in April, would continue this year after the Trump administration rolled out a group of protectionist trade measures and hawkish-rhetoric against China in recent months.
During this visit, Yang met with Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, as well as important personnel from various U.S. sectors.
Yang said progress has been made in the China-U.S. relations last year under the guidance of Xi and Trump, who agreed during their Beijing meeting that China and the United States have wide-ranging common interests and the significant responsibilities of securing world peace, prosperity and stability.
The two leaders also agreed that the China-U.S. ties have global relevance; and promoting the bilateral relationship is not only in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also meets the common aspirations of the international community, said Yang.
Yang also said the two leaders have mapped out the future direction of bilateral efforts by maintaining close contacts through telephone calls and letters.
He noted that the two countries should properly manage and control their disputes and other sensitive issues to ensure more positive results of the bilateral relations.
Yang said China is committed to conducting comprehensive reforms at home while seeking peaceful development and to win-win cooperation abroad. He hopes that the U.S. side could meet China halfway to ensure the stable and healthy development of bilateral ties in the long run. [ For its part, the U.S. side agreed that China and the United States have made positive progress in dealing with bilateral ties.
Washington said the U.S.-China relations are very important, and it is willing to strengthen cooperation with Beijing to build fruitful and constructive relations.
The U.S. side said it is ready to work with China to consolidate and expand win-win cooperation, while properly settling disputes with mutual respect so as to propel bilateral ties for further progress.
OPENING MARKETS FOR RECIPROCAL ECONOMIC, TRADE TIES
During his visit, Yang said China and the United States could properly address the bilateral trade issue through the two-way opening of markets, and "making a bigger cake of cooperation."
He said the China-U.S. economic and trade relations have been proved reciprocal in nature and have brought huge benefits to the two peoples.
The senior Chinese official urged the two nations to implement the consensus reached on economic and trade area, pursue the pragmatic cooperation on such areas as energy, infrastructure construction and the Belt and Road Initiative, and enhance coordination on macro-economy and global economic affairs.
For its part, the U.S. side agreed that China-U.S. trade ties are of significance, saying it is willing to work with China to solve bilateral economic and trade issues in a more effective manner.
MAINTAINING MOMENTUM OF INTER-KOREAN RAPPROCHEMENT
During Yang's visit, the two sides also exchanged ideas on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
Yang said China has been committed to Peninsula denuclearization, peace and stability, and the ultimate settlement of disputes through dialogue and consultation.
He called for global support for the inter-Korean rapport in a bid to maintain the tension-easing momentum on the peninsula.
Beijing is ready to keep communication and coordination with Washington on the basis of mutual trust and respect so as to seek a proper solution to the peninsula issue, Yang added.
