China notes progress in ties under Obama

BEIJING / AP

Sidestepping recent disputes over Taiwan and regional security, China said on Thursday that “important progress” has been made in its relationship with the US under President Barack Obama and the two countries should move forward as partners rather than competitors. Asked to sum up relations under Obama, who leaves office Friday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying recalled the numerous meetings between the US president and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, including last year in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.
Trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges between the sides all hit new records under Obama, while the countries worked together on climate change, an investment agreement, building trust between their militaries, counterterrorism and the Iranian nuclear issue, Hua said at a daily briefing. “Important progress has been made by the two countries. This has shown that China-US relations have strategic and overarching significance and we have more common interests than differences and when China and the US work together we can achieve a lot,” Hua said.