China calls for regional peace (2)

"Otherwise, further vicious interactions will be sparked, and the odds will grow of a miscalculation between Beijing and Washington," Shi warned.

"There are short term issues, with the DPRK situation being most prominent, but the long term relationship between China and the United States is more important," said Bob Berring, a law professor at Berkeley University.

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew paid a visit to China in March, while Kerry is the second US cabinet member Xi has met since becoming president in March. Kerry's meetings with the Chinese president and premier both went on longer than expected.

Tao Wenzhao, a senior researcher on US studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said working level contacts between the two new leaderships will "help deepen mutual trust and avoid misjudgment".

Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the Sino-US strategic and economic dialogue mechanism will continue, and the upcoming round of talks "require a lot of work beforehand".

Kerry's trip will help nail down the agenda, with "cooperation and coordination still the top priority for Sino-US relations," Ruan said.

While meeting with Kerry, Xi said both sides should work on developing positive interactions in the Asia-Pacific region and "enhance communication and coordination" on regional and international issues, as there is "enough space between the coasts of the Pacific Ocean" for the two powers.

Xi said the two countries differ on some issues, but they should respect each other's core interests and paths of development. Both sides should "properly handle disputes and contradictions" to avoid problems with bilateral ties, Xi said.

Li added that ties between the countries have developed for more than 40 years and demonstrate the two country's shared interests far outweigh their differences, while their reciprocal areas of concern will deepen further.

Economy and trade ties were also a highlight of Saturday's bilateral meetings.

The premier said Beijing hopes Washington will lift limits on the export of hi-tech products to China, and both sides should do more to promote equality for business competition and protect rights and interests.

Xi urged both sides to boost cooperation and "tighten the bond of interests".