China committed to building major-country relations with US: Xi Jinping

Beijing: Bracing for his first visit to the US to hold talks with American counterpart Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday played down any Sino-US conflict saying that Beijing is committed to working with Washington to build a new type of major-power relationship.

If the goal can be achieved, it will be good for the people of China and the United States, as well as for world peace and development, Xi said in his meeting with a group of American business leaders and former officials.

While noting that China and the US share broad common interests, Xi acknowledged that there are some differences too.

Both sides, he said, must accommodate each other's core interests, avoid strategic miscalculation, and properly manage and control differences.

He said that during his visit, expected to take place later this month, he was ready to have a "profound exchange of views" with Obama on major issues of common concern.

Xi said the slowdown of China's economic growth is the result of the country's development pattern transformation and economic restructuring.

"We will continue to deepen economic reform and ensure that the market will play a decisive role in allocating resources," he said.

He added that the economy still has great potential and is capable of maintaining medium-to high-speed growth.

He called on both sides to intensify macroeconomic policy coordination and work together to promote global economic growth.

He also suggested that trade and investment facilitation be pushed, and hoped the US business community would support China's reform and opening up, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.