REMARKS: SECRETARY KERRY AND CHINESE PRESIDENT JINPING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks Before Meeting With Chinese President Xi Jinping
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Great Hall of the People
Beijing, China
May 17, 2015

PRESIDENT XI: (Via interpreter) Secretary Kerry, welcome to China. I understand that you are leaving China this afternoon, but still I have to extend a big, warm welcome to you here to Beijing. Your visit happens at an important time for both sides to conduct timely communication regarding this relationship. And Mr. Secretary, I understand that during your tenure in the Senate and in your current capacity as the Secretary of State of the United States, you are both committed to growing China-U.S. relationship. I wish to express my appreciation for what you have done.

In my view, China-U.S. relationship has remained stable on the whole. When President Obama visited China last November, the two of us had in-depth exchanges and discussions, and we reached an important agreement on growing China-U.S. relationship. On my part, I look forward to my visit to the United States in the coming September this year upon the invitation of President Obama. I look forward to continuing to grow this relationship with President Obama and bring China-U.S. relationship to a new height along the track of a new model of major country relationship between our two countries.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Mr. President, thank you very much for your welcome. Let me especially begin by saying that I know you and your team aren’t normally here on a weekend and especially on Sunday. I know your entire team and you personally made a very special exception in order to be able to work out my schedule, and I want to express my deep appreciation to you for doing that. I also want to thank your team for the excellent discussions we had yesterday in-depth. We particularly laid out the agenda for your summit with President Obama, which we are very much looking forward to.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL CONGRATULATES NEW CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTER WANQUAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMET OF DEFENSE
Hagel Congratulates New Chinese Defense Minister
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2013 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel offered best wishes to China’s new defense minister in a phone call yesterday, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

In a statement released after the call, Little said Hagel congratulated Gen. Chang Wanquan on his new position.

The leaders both expressed their intention to work together to continue to build a military-to-military relationship that serves the vision of both President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Little said.

"The secretary discussed the importance of focusing on areas of sustained dialogue, practical areas of cooperation, and risk-reducing measures," the press secretary added, and emphasized the growing threat to the United States and its allies posed by North Korea's aggressive pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Hagel also expressed to Chang the importance of sustained U.S.-China dialogue and cooperation on these issues, he said.

Little noted that Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will visit China later this month, and said Hagel told Chang he looks forward to hearing the results of the visit.

The secretary also invited Chang to visit the United States later this year to continue senior-level military-to-military consultations, Little added.