Bilateral relations moving in positive direction: FM

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that China and the United States have fruitful communication on realizing exchanges between their presidents and at other levels, and expanding all areas of cooperation.

At a news conference during the two sessions, Wang said the China-US relationship is transitioning steadily and developing in a positive direction, due to the intense communication and joint efforts of both sides.

"There is no reason why China and the US could not become excellent partners, as long as we act on the consensus reached by our presidents, follow the principles of no-conflict, no-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation," he said.

The foreign minister also said the two countries should rise above the differences of social systems and zero-sum mentality.

"China and the US have a growing set of common interests. The areas where we need to work together far outweigh our differences," he said.

"We should pull our efforts to enlarge our shared interests rather than building our success at the expense of others, because it's just not possible," he added.

Wang also cited a Chinese saying that "when turning 30, one should be able to stand firm; when entering 40, one should no longer have any doubts" to express prospects for the 38-year-old China-US relationship.

"We hope China and the US can truly rise above the old ideas, open up new horizons, and build a more robust and mature relationship as it turns 40 so that we can put the minds of our two peoples and the whole world at ease," he said.

When asked his impression of the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the foreign minister said he is a good listener and communicator.

"I hope and believe we can establish a good working relationship, and work together to realize a normal development of China-US relations," he said.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn