China-US relationship at critical juncture - Xi
CHINA: The relationship between Beijing and Washington is at a
"critical juncture", China's President Xi Jinping told a senior advisor
to Barack Obama Monday ahead of meetings with the US leader next week.
National Security Advisor Tom Donilon was in Beijing as part of
preparations for a June 7-8 summit at the Sunnylands resort in
California, the two leaders' first encounter since Xi took office in
March.
The talks come amid pressing issues such as tensions over North
Korea's latest nuclear test in February. Other issues include China's
territorial disputes with Japan and Southeast Asian neighbours along
with international stalemate on how to resolve the civil war in Syria.
"The current China-US relationship is at a critical juncture to build on
past successes and open up new dimensions for the future," Xi told
Donilon at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
He said he looked forward to the opportunity to meet Obama and "have
extensive and deep discussions about major strategic issues of mutual
interest". Donilon told Xi that the "unprecedented level of high-level
dialogue and interactions... as well as other channels of communication
between senior officials have been essential to effectively advancing
our relationship".
The summit's secluded desert location far from Washington is aimed at
setting the course for smoother relations, which both sides have
stressed as tremendously important.
Donilon's trip follows recent visits from several top US officials,
including Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew in March and US Joint Chiefs of
Staff chairman Martin Dempsey and Secretary of State John Kerry in
April.
AFP
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