2010-04-01 22:12

BEIJING - Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged to remove "disturbance" in the China-US relationship to promote long-term, healthy and stable bilateral ties.

Xi made the remarks while meeting with a US bipartisan delegation led by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Williamson.

The governments, parties and politicians of both China and the United States should "learn from history, cherish current opportunities, march with the times and take a broad view of bilateral ties," Xi said.

Xi said he hoped the two sides will overcome difficulties and remove disturbances to improve bilateral ties for the benefit of the two nations and the world.

The 18-member US delegation is in Beijing to attend the first high-level dialogue with the Communist Party of China (CPC), which was held on Wednesday.

It is also the first time the two US political parties have sent a bipartisan delegation to China.

Xi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, spoke highly of the inter-party dialogue, saying the party exchanges will help boost understanding and trust and promote a positive, cooperative and comprehensive China-US relationship in the 21st century.

Xi's remarks came amid a thaw in the China-US ties, which was strained by a US arms sale plan to Taiwan in January and President Barack Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama in February.

US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg reaffirmed at a briefing Monday the United States' commitment to the one-China policy.

Obama said on Tuesday the United States is devoted to working with China to build a positive, cooperative and comprehensive US-China relationship for the 21st century.

China expressed its appreciation for the "positive remarks" by the US side.

"A sound China-US relationship is in the basic interests of the two peoples and is conducive to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday.

Qin reiterated that the Chinese government always attaches great importance to relations with the United States and is committed to developing a long-term, healthy and stable bilateral relationship.

On Thursday, China announced President Hu Jintao will attend the Nuclear Security Summit on April 12-13 in Washington.