FM spokesman highlights importance of China-U.S. summit

BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that an impending meeting between President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama will aid in the construction of a new type of relationship between the two countries.

The summit, the first of its kind to be held since Xi took office in March, would be conducive to strengthening strategic communication, increasing mutual trust, deepening bilateral cooperation and managing differences, spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press conference.

He said China-U.S. relations have maintained good growth momentum in the past four years, with dialogue and cooperation expanding in the areas of trade, energy, environmental issues and culture.

He added that close communication and coordination have been used by both sides to address global challenges like the international financial crisis, as well as regional issues, such as tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the Iran nuclear issue.

"Of course, China and the United States do have some differences that need to be properly addressed," Hong said.

He said both sides shared a good start in bilateral relations this year and have seen opportunities to boost their growth, adding that China will work with the U.S. to implement the consensus reached between the two leaders, increase mutual understanding, boost cooperation and properly handle disputes.

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