Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday received a delegation of United States senators in Beijing in a possible move to bring the two countries closer together.
“The China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world,” Xi said.
Xi struck a conciliatory tone at the meeting as he told the group led by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
For China, Xi said it had always been clear that the two countries’ common interests far outweighed their differences.
Earlier on Monday, the U.S. officials also spoke with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi.
“I hope this visit will help the U.S. view China in a more accurate and objective way and bring China-U.S. relations back to the track of sound development,” Wang said.
In a televised excerpt of Schumer’s comments, the senator said the U.S. wanted stability and fairness and not an economic decoupling with China.
“But China must also provide a level playing field for American companies and workers,” Schumer added.
Schumer, a democrat, also criticised China’s failure to condemn the bloody attack by the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas on Israel, which left hundreds dead.
In a statement on the conflict, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not express sympathy or support for Israel.
He instead called on all parties to exercise restraint, cease fire immediately, protect civilians and ensure the situation did not deteriorate further.
Before the China trip, the U.S. side said the bipartisan delegation wanted to meet government and business representatives, and also hoped to meet with Xi.
Xi is both the paramount leader of China’s government and the general secretary of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
The relationship between the world’s two largest economies is currently hampered by sanctions, economic and geopolitical disputes and spying allegations.
Observers are, therefore, looking forward to a possible meeting between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific Summit in San Francisco in November.
It remained unclear whether Xi will attend.
The Foreign Ministry in Beijing did not comment on the possibility on Monday when asked.