Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on China and the United States to think carefully about the interests of their two peoples and the whole world and work to solve differences through strategic dialogue.

President Xi made the remarks during a meeting with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.

The Chinese leader said he appreciated Kissinger's sincere and positive efforts over the years in promoting the development of relations between China and the United States and hoped that the 96-year-old would continue in that role.

Pointing to the cultural differences between the two countries, Xi said he hoped the two sides would strengthen communication on strategic issues to avoid misunderstanding and misjudgment and enhance mutual understanding.

With China-U.S. relations at a key stage, the president said he wished the two sides would respect each other, seek common ground while reserving differences and pursue win-win cooperation to push China-American ties forward in the right direction.

Kissinger applauded China's remarkable development in the past half-century. According to him, China-U.S. relations are always moving forward despite ups and downs.

He hoped the two sides would strengthen strategic communication, work hard to find a proper solution to their differences and continue to carry out exchanges and cooperation in various fields, which are of vital importance to both countries and the world at large.