On February 10, 2018 EST, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang answered a reporter's question regarding the visit of member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor Yang Jiechi's visit to the United States.

A reporter asked: Recently, the media has been closely following the visit by member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor Yang Jiechi's visit to the United States. Can you give us more details and brief us on the specific outcomes regarding this visit?

Lu Kang said that at the invitation of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Yang Jiechi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor, paid a visit to the US from February 8 to 9. During his visit, Yang Jiechi met with US President Donald Trump, held talks with US Secretary of State Tillerson and attended a working luncheon held by him. Yang Jiechi also met with H.R. McMaster, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to the President, and held talks with representatives from all walks of life in the US.

Yang Jiechi conveyed to President Trump the sincere regards of President Xi Jinping. President Trump thanked him and asked State Councilor Yang Jiechi to convey his sincere regards to President Xi Jinping.

Yang Jiechi held in-depth exchanges of views with President Trump, top US officials and people from various sectors on China-US relations and international and regional issues of common interest.

Yang Jiechi said that over the past year, China-US relations have made important and positive progress under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Trump. During President Trump's visit to China last November, the two heads of state reached important consensus and outcomes. The two presidents emphasized that China and the US share broad common interests and important responsibilities in safeguarding world peace, stability and prosperity. The trend of the China-US ties has important global relevance, and a constantly developing bilateral relationship is not only in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, but also meets the common aspirations of the international community.

Yang Jiechi pointed out that since the beginning of this year, the two heads of state have mapped out the future direction for bilateral efforts through their close contacts via telephone calls and letters, in which the two leaders said they wanted to accelerate bilateral cooperation in multiple areas. The teams on the two sides will continue to conscientiously implement the consensus and outcomes reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in Beijing, maintain close contacts at all levels, including the highest level, and make good use of the four high-level dialogue mechanisms to expand communication and cooperation in economy and trade, military, law enforcement, drug control, people-to-people exchanges and sub-national contacts, among other areas. The two sides will strengthen communication and coordination on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and other major international and regional issues and stick to constructive manners in managing differences and sensitive issues, so that the China-US relations will yield more positive results.

Yang Jiechi stressed that China unswervingly follows the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, vigorously promotes comprehensive reforms at home and adheres to the path of peaceful development and upholds a mutually beneficial and win-win strategy of opening up to the outside world. The sustained positive development of China-US relations is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples and in line with the widespread aspirations among the international community. We hope that the US and China will meet each other half way, respect and benefit each other and promote the long-term healthy and steady development of China-US relations.

The US also held the opinion that under the guidance of the two heads of state, positive progress has been made in the China-US relations in the past year. President Trump's state visit to China last November was very successful. The US-China relations are of great importance. There are a series of cooperation being conducted between the US and China. The US stands ready to strengthen cooperation and develop productive and constructive relations with China. Both sides should follow through on the consensus and outcomes of the meeting between the two heads of state in Beijing. The US is willing to make joint efforts with China to consolidate and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, properly handle differences with mutual respect and promote more positive progress in bilateral relations.

As for the economic and trade relations between China and the US, Yang Jiechi pointed out that numerous facts have proved that the China-US economic and trade relations are mutually beneficial and win-win in essence, which have delivered tremendous benefits to both peoples. The two sides should implement the outcomes in the field of economy and trade reached by the two heads of state during the meeting in Beijing, explore more pragmatic cooperation in such fields as energy, infrastructure construction, the Belt and Road Initiative and continue to strengthen policy coordination with regard to macroeconomic situation of the two countries and international economic affairs. Both sides should properly handle economic and trade issues by opening up markets to each other and making the pie of cooperation bigger so as to safeguard the sound development of economic and trade relations between the two countries.

The US also believed that China-US trading relations are very important. Both sides should jointly look into and discuss ways to effectively solve the economic and trade problems between the two countries.

The two sides exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Yang Jiechi said that China has always committed itself to the denuclearization of the Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation. The international community should support the DPRK and the ROK in improving their relations and carrying on the current momentum of amelioration in the situation on the Peninsula. China stands ready to work with the US to maintain communication and coordination on the basis of mutual trust and mutual respect and jointly promote the proper settlement of the Peninsula issue.

Yang Jiechi also had an in-depth exchange of views with the US side on the extensive cooperation between China and the US on important bilateral and international issues. The two sides agreed to hold the second round of the China-US Diplomatic and Security Dialogue in China in the first half of this year and the second round of the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue, Social and People-to-People Dialogue, Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity Dialogue within this year as early as possible.

Lu Kang said that State Councilor Yang Jiechi's visit to the US this time was the first face-to-face contact at the high level between the two countries following the meeting of the two heads of state in Beijing. During the visit, both sides exchanged in-depth views on China-US relations and important issues of mutual concern, which is conducive to following through on the consensus and outcomes reached by the two state leaders during their meeting in Beijing and planning and promoting across-the-board exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the next stage.