Chinese FM meets Kissinger in New York

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger here and said that ties between Beijing and Washington have witnessed positive developments after the Trump administration came to power.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the restoration of ties between China and the US and demonstrates that cooperation was the sole right choice, Wang said on Monday.

"China-US relations underwent stable transition and witnessed positive development after the assumption of power of the new US administration at the beginning of the year," Wang was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The two sides should earnestly implement the consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump to strengthen strategic mutual trust, expand cooperation and properly handle differences, he said.

Wang stressed the importance of preparations for Trump's visit to China this year and the need to ensure success of the visit so as to carry forward China-US relations.

Kissinger made a secret diplomatic trip to Beijing in 1971 to set the stage for then President Richard Nixon's historic visit to formally normalise relations between the US and China. Nixon's 1972 visit to China ended 25 years of hostile ties between them.

Kissinger said that US-China relations have seen historic development since the restoration of ties and have brought about tangible benefits to the two countries.

Kissinger expressed the hope that Trump's trip to China will not only solve specific problems but also help lay a sound foundation for medium and long-term cooperation between the two countries.

--IANS

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