SEATTLE, United States, Sept. 22  -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Tuesday that China and the United States should join hands to solve problems they both face to make the world turn better and grow faster.

"If we can avoid conflicts and confrontations and seek win-win cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, it will benefit not only our two nations, but also the whole Asia-Pacific region and the world at large," Xi, who arrived here Tuesday morning for his first state visit to the United States, said while meeting with a group of U.S. political figures.

Those who were present at the meeting included Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, U.S. Senator for Washington State Patty Murray, and former U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke, among others.

Xi recalled his meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the Annenberg Estate in California back in 2013, when the two leaders reached important consensus on building a new model of major-country relationship.

He also noted that his current visit is aimed at injecting fresh dynamic into bilateral relations, not only through talks with Obama, but also through discussions with American people from all walks of life.

"I look forward to discussing key issues in bilateral relations and mapping out a blueprint for bilateral cooperation here," he said.

As America's gateways to Asia and China, the city of Seattle and the state of Washington have established close connections with China, with economic, trade and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides achieving great results, Xi said.

He noted that shipping services between China and the United States resumed after a long suspension of several decades with the arrival of the first Chinese cargo ship at the port of Seattle just less than four months after the establishment of diplomatic ties.

He also pointed to the fact that Washington State has topped the nation in exports to China for three consecutive years.

Moreover, following the devastating earthquake that struck Wenchuan in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2008, elementary school students in Pierce County, Washington sent hundreds of letters and cards to teenagers in the quake-affected area, expressing consolations and best wishes.

"It was really moving and unforgettable," said the president. "And we can see hope for the future of China-U.S. relations from the mutual understanding and friendship between our younger generations."

Xi called for joint efforts from both sides to further strengthen and step up the pace of cooperation between China and Washington State and Seattle respectively.

The governments should serve as a bridge, find ways to expand cooperation and increase people-to-people exchanges, and provide more support and convenience for businesses on both sides to carry out mutually beneficial cooperation in such areas as manufacturing, bio-technology and environmental protection, Xi said.

Governor Inslee and Mayor Murray said their state and city "felt greatly honored" to host Xi, adding that all the 50 U.S. states are actually looking forward to the president's visit.

They expressed the belief that the smooth development of U.S.-China relations can benefit both peoples and help promote world stability and prosperity.

Washington State and Seattle are ready to continue expanding cooperation with China and playing a positive role in the further development of U.S.-China ties, they said.

This is Xi's seventh trip to the United States since 1985, when he led a five-member agricultural delegation to Muscatine, Iowa. His last visit took place in Sunnylands, California, in 2013.

Despite different views on some issues between the world's largest developing country and largest developed one, China and the United States have witnessed strong economic and people-to-people engagement, with the two sides having become each other's second largest trading partner.

Two-way trade between the two countries grew to an all-time high of 555 billion U.S. dollars in 2014, and bilateral investment had surpassed 120 billion dollars by the end of last year.

It is estimated that by 2022, China and the United States will become each other's biggest trading partner.