Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi takes questions on China's foreign policy and foreign relations at a press conference for the fifth session of the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)
China and the United States are communicating on future exchanges between their presidents and at other levels, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.[Special coverage]
Speaking to reporters during a press conference on the sidelines of China's ongoing annual parliamentary session, Wang said Beijing and Washington are having "fruitful communications on realizing exchanges between their presidents and at other levels, and expanding all areas of cooperation."
He said the China-U.S. relationship is transitioning steadily and developing in a positive direction through intense communication and joint efforts of both sides.
Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump had a very important telephone conversation, Wang said, during which they reaffirmed the importance of following the one-China principle.
They also pledged to push China-U.S. relationship to greater heights from a new starting point, the minister said, adding that the phone call has set the direction and paved the way for bilateral relations.
"As long as we act on the consensus reached between our presidents, follow the principle of no conflicts and no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, there is no reason why China and the United States cannot become excellent partners," he said.
The minister said the importance of China-U.S. relationship, one between two major countries with global impact, is self-evident.
Preserving and developing the China-U.S. relationship is in the interest of people of both countries and the expectation of the international community, he said, while pointing to the three joint communiques that have laid solid foundation for China-U.S. relations.
He went on to call on the two countries to rise above differences in their social systems and the zero-sum mentality to build a more robust and mature relationship.
"In the age of progress and plurality, there is a compelling reason for China and the United States to respect each other, learn from each other, live together peacefully and realize common development, he said.
He said China and the United States have a growing set of common interests. The areas the duo countries need to work together on far outweigh their differences, and in many ways their interests are closely intertwined.
"So we should pool our efforts to enlarge our shared interests, rather than building one's success at the expense of the other, because it is just not possible," the foreign minister said.
Noting that it has been 38 years since China and the United States established diplomatic relations, Wang cited an ancient Chinese saying that says one should be able to stand firm at the age of 30, and no longer have any doubts when turning 40.
"We hope China and the United States can truly rise above old ideas, open up new horizon, build a more robust and mature relationship as it turns 40, so that we can put the minds of our people and the whole world at peace," he said.
The Chinese foreign minister also commended his U.S. counterpart Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as a "good listener and a good communicator."
"I hope and believe we could establish a good working relationship and work together for the healthy development of China-U.S. relations," Wang said.
