Xi upbeat about US relations

President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama meet in Washington on Thursday. Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

Countries should handle points of friction constructively, president says

China and the United States should handle unresolved disputes in a constructive manner to avoid misunderstandings and escalation in conflicts, President Xi Jinping told US President Barack Obama on Thursday.

China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty and rights in the South China Sea and will not accept any activities excusing, in the name of free navigation, behavior that could harm its national sovereignty, Xi said.

"I would like to reiterate that to work together with the US side to establish a new-type relationship between big powers, achieve the goal of no conflict or confrontation, show respect for each other and cooperate for win-win results is the priority of China's foreign policy," he said.

The president made the remarks during a meeting with Obama on the sidelines of the 4th Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, which concludes on Friday.

The 90-minute meeting was the only bilateral meeting Obama arranged during the summit, which was attended by more than 50 heads of state and governments.

The two countries have carried out effective communication on issues including Iranian nuclear development, Syria, Afghanistan and peacekeeping, and that shows great potential for a new-type big power relationship, Xi said.

The global economy is experiencing a sluggish period, and no country in the world should stimulate exports by currency depreciation, he added.

China and the US should boost trust between their militaries, and they should make cybersecurity an area for cooperation, Xi said.

It had been a contentious issue in bilateral relations for years before Xi's state visit to the US in September, when the two leaders reached consensus on more effectively tackling the issue.