Beijing: China on Saturday said it welcomes a constructive role of the US in Asia Pacific, but Washington should also respect Beijing`s interests and concerns in the region.
"We welcome a constructive role of the United States in Asia Pacific, and at the same time the US needs to respect China`s interests and concerns in the region," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told a media conference here.
China and the US share the most convergent interests and have the most frequent interactions in Asia Pacific, Yang said when asked about US pivot to Asia-Pacific where Washington wants to deploy 60 per cent of military assets.
He stressed that the regional affairs in Asia Pacific should be handled by all countries in the region through consultations.
The Minister also called on the US to work with China to increase dialogue and cooperation in the region.
The Sino-US relationship has on the whole maintained a momentum of steady development in recent years with 12 meetings between Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama, he said.
Yang reiterated that the US side, in particular, needs to properly handle Taiwan and other sensitive issues.
PTI
