As President Barack Obama prepares to visit the Chinese capital next month, America and China's top diplomats aim to manage differences and work together against global threats, such as the Islamic State and Ebola, in a joint effort to mend strained relations prior to next month's summit, Reuters reported.
Before a second day of talks in Boston on Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters, "There are many areas that the United States and China are cooperating on, even as we have some differences that we try to manage effectively."
The two countries are currently working together regarding Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, and share common interests in fighting the Islamic State, climate change, and Ebola, according to Reuters.
Kerry is hosting China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi in his hometown of Boston for two days in preparation for Obama's trip to Beijing for a Asia-Pacific leaders summit in November, where he will also meet with China's President Xi Jinping on Nov. 12.
Jiechi joined Kerry Friday at his Boston townhouse for dinner, where, according to a senior State Department official, the two spoke "frankly" about ways to manage difference while addressing global issues, Reuters reported.
"We believe that we should continue to work together to deepen our mutual trust and to put our efforts to major areas of cooperation while, on the basis of mutual respect, we can properly handle many kinds of difference between us," said Jiechi.
Recent differences include disagreements over territorial disputes between China and its South China Sea neighbors, as well as pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
"The Asia-Pacific region is a very important region," Jiechi told reporters. "We need to work together to build up even more cooperation between China and the United States in the area because this is the area that has experienced robust economic development."
The meetings come just days after Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks on how the U.S. and Russia can manage their differences and partner together on similar issues.
