Real work begins after fruitful talks

US Secretary of State John Kerry waves upon his arrival at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on Sunday. Kerry arrived in Japan to discuss nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula. TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / Agence France-Presse

Talks between Chinese leaders and United States Secretary of State John Kerry during his two-day visit to China were fruitful, said analysts, who called for full implementation of their agreements.

The US wants a "strong, normal and special" relationship with China because the Asian country is a great power with the great ability to advance the world, Kerry said at a news briefing on Saturday night after meeting with Chinese leaders.

This was Kerry's first visit to China as US secretary of state and was part of an Asian tour with stops including Seoul and Tokyo.

President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had in-depth talks with Kerry to explore the new type of major power relationship, while differences remain in certain areas between the world's two largest economies.

Bob Berring, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has taught courses related to China for many years, said Kerry demonstrated the goodwill and honest intentions of the US.

There are short-term issues such as the Pyongyang nuclear issue, "but the long-term relationship between China and the US is more important", he said.

Berring noted that there is no reason the US and China cannot cooperate in the future.

"Rationally, there is no necessary conflict of interest. It is a challenge for the leadership of the US to recognize China as a peer, a nation that must be dealt with as an equal," he said.

"This is a critical time, needless to say, being able to speak directly to my Chinese counterpart and try to focus on some very critical issues is of major importance," Kerry told US embassy staff in Beijing on Sunday ahead of his departure for Tokyo, AFP reported.

During the meeting, Premier Li and Kerry agreed to issue a joint statement on climate change, and announced the two countries will set up a climate change workforce under the framework of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

In July, China and the US will hold the fifth China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi said China was committed to "advancing the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula" and "will work with the parties concerned, including the US, to play a constructive role".

China and the US should also engage in calm and objective dialogue about cyberspace, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Beijing and Washington have been trading accusations in recent months of massive hacking intrusions.