TEMPO.CO, Beijing - The United States and China have agreed to manage their differences and avoid conflicts, the leaders of the two nations said yesterday during the opening of high-level annual talks in Beijing.
China's President Xi Jinping said it was natural for the two nations to have differences. "Confrontation between China and the US would definitely be a disaster for the two nations and the world," said Xi at the opening ceremony of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), held at the Diaoyutai state guest house.
In the two-day meeting that will discuss various diplomatic and economic issues, the US delegation is headed by the State Secretary John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. Several agendas that will be discussed are climate change, innovation and science, and animal and illegal plant trade. Kerry said the talks will also include regional issues such as North Korea’s nuclear program, Syria, Iran and South Sudan.
In his statement, President Barack Obama is committed to build a new relationship model with China, which is increasing cooperation and managing differences in a constructive way. He also hoped both nations can end their differences and build a resilient and cooperation relationship. "We should use the S&ED to demonstrate to the world that -- even in a relationship as complex as ours -- we remain determined to ensure that cooperation defines the overall relationship," Obama said.
YONHAP | XINHUA | NATALIA SANTI
