China and the US agree cooperation is key to dealing with differences

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07:06

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both confirm that cooperation is important in tackling differences between China and the US.

The two diplomats made the remarks in a joint press conference after the two held a meeting in Beijing on Thursday.

Wang Yi briefed the journalists that he talked about several issues of common concern with Pompeo, including the Korean Peninsula and bilateral ties between China and the US.

Korean Peninsula

Wang praised the bravery and responsibility of both leaders from the US and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK) shown through the historic meeting held just two days ago between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

The Trump-Kim summit has grabbed the attention of global media. /VCG Photo

Wang said it was a successful summit in a sense that it brought the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula back onto the right track of peaceful settlement through dialogue.

He reaffirmed China's commitment to working closely with parties at stake and contributing to the building of a peace mechanism on the peninsula.

Pompeo, in return, thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his help on the issue. Meanwhile, he reaffirmed the US stance on the easing of sanctions for the DPRK, saying that will not happen until the US sees the latter's "complete denuclearization."

China-US bilateral ties

On trade relations between the two countries, Wang called for cooperation, but admitted that differences still exist.

02:30

"What matters is how we approach cooperation," Wang said. "We should let competition drive cooperation."

"There are two options: one is cooperation, win-win for both countries, and the second is confrontation and a lose-lose scenario. China has made its choice for cooperation; we hope the US would do the same," Wang said, noting that China is also prepared on all fronts.

Wang added that China does not expect the US to create any new obstacles for the next step of trade consultations or take any unilateral, non-constructive measures.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (C) walks through a hotel lobby as he heads to the US embassy in Beijing, May 3, 2018, before crucial trade talks begin in Beijing during the week. /VCG Photo‍

Apart from the trade issue, Wang also firmly stated China's stance on Taiwan, reminding the US to respect the one-China policy and cautiously handle its relations with the island.

For his part, Pompeo echoed Wang in saying that cooperation is a more conducive way of dealing with issues between China and the US.

"The United States wants a very constructive relationship with China," Pompeo pointed out. "We've seen the power that comes when the United States and China do work together, when we don't treat the relationship as being zero-sum."

"When we cooperate, the United States and China can make great progress. There is much work ahead for our two countries. I'm committed to working with you and with China to achieve those objectives," Pompeo added.

The US secretary of state visited Beijing after wrapping up a trilateral meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Seoul on the same day.