Xi, Trump discuss trade, Korea over phone

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump on January 16 discussed bilateral trade and the situation on the Korean Peninsula on phone.

The China-US relations maintained overall stability and achieved significant progress in 2017, said Xi.

The Chinese president said that keeping bilateral ties on a track of healthy and stable development is in the interests of both countries and both peoples, and conforms to the common aspiration of the international community, the media reported.

The two sides need to maintain high-level and various levels of interactions, bring the four high-level dialogue mechanisms between them into full play, and hold the second round of dialogues at a proper time, Xi said.

Xi stressed that the two countries should adopt constructive measures to properly settle economic and trade issues of mutual concern by opening up the market to each other.

He also called for advancing the cooperation between the two militaries, in law-enforcement, drug control, cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation on local levels.

"The two sides need to meet each other halfway, respect each other, focus on cooperation, deal with sensitive issues in a constructive way, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and maintain the momentum of sound and steady development of China-US relations," Xi said.

Trump said that the US side attaches great importance to its relations with China as well as to the US-China cooperation, and that it is willing to work with the Chinese side to enhance bilateral exchanges at all levels.

Regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Xi said that there are some positive changes and related parties should work jointly to keep up the hard-won momentum for the easing of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and create conditions for the resumption of talks.

He said that the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and safeguarding peace and stability in the region accord with the common interests of all sides.

Trump said the US side values China's significant role in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China over the issue.