Chinese President Xi downplays differences, says US visit ‘fruitful’

Addressing a luncheon hosted by US Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry at State Department, Xi said he and Obama are determined to build a new model of major-country relationship.

The visit, guided by consensus, achieved fruitful results with new, important progress in areas such as investment, people-to-people exchanges, climate change and coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs, Xi said as he wound up his maiden visit to Washington. “I believe that as long as our two sides join hands and make unremitting efforts, we will continue to open up new phases for China-US ties and better benefit peoples of the two countries and the world as a whole,” he was quoted as saying by state-run Xinhua news agency.

Playing down the differences over the disputed South China Sea and the increasing cyber-attacks, Xi said the China-US ties have moved forward in general over the past 70 years despite twists and turns, bringing a lot of benefits for people of the two countries and the world. The US has accused China of serial cyber <g data-gr-id="17">thefts,</g> and protested its military build-up in the South China Sea.

Xi said China and the US fought fascist invasion during the second World War, shoulder-to-shoulder, and safeguarded peace, freedom and justice. The Chinese people would never forget the assistance provided by the Americans, he added.