Xi to make first state visit to US in Sept

Economic, security issues discussed with Obama over phone

US President Barack Obama, at a welcome ceremony held by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China.
US President Barack Obama, at a welcome ceremony held by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China.
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AP, Beijing :
China’s leader Xi Jinping will make his first state visit as president to the United States in September, Chinese official media reported Wednesday, underlining positive momentum in the often-troubled relationship between the world’s largest economies.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency said Xi had accepted President Barack Obama’s invitation to visit in a telephone call between the two overnight. The announcement came as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken was in Beijing to meet Chinese officials.
Obama visited China in November to attend the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum during which he held a separate day of meetings with Xi.
Obama and Xi also met in the U.S. in June 2013 for an informal summit at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, California, a meeting cited by the Chinese side as helping redefine ties based on equality and mutual respect.
The U.S. and China have been working together on a range of high-profile issues, including pledging to cut back on their emissions of greenhouse gases. At the same time, the two have clashed diplomatically on several fronts, including over cyber-espionage allegations and Chinese actions asserting its maritime territorial claims against U.S. treaty partners Japan and the Philippines.
The White House said Obama and Xi held a wide-ranging telephone conversation on Tuesday night, touching on issues from China’s assistance to West African nations battling the Ebola virus to prospects for a U.S.-China investment treaty.
The two also reaffirmed their commitment to closely coordinate on threats to global security. It singled out efforts to encourage Iran to respond positively in negotiations over its nuclear programs with the five United Nations Security Council members, including both China and the U.S., along with Germany.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is encouraging Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) to continue his nation’s financial moves toward consumer-led growth and a market-determined exchange rate.
The White House says the two presidents spoke by telephone Tuesday night.
Obama reinforced his commitment to a U.S.-China investment treaty, and encouraged Xi to work more closely with the U.S. on cybersecurity issues.
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