Chinese FM meets Tillerson, discuss bilateral ties

United Nations, April 29 (IANS) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of a UN Security Council ministerial meeting on the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue.

On bilateral ties, Wang on Friday said that the historical meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida was a complete success, Xinhua news agency reported.

China-US relations have thus achieved a smooth transition with a good start, a positive sign that the two sides are willing to cooperate for the well-being of the two peoples and to jointly contribute to world peace, he said.

Wang noted that close communication between leaders of the two countries plays an important and leading role in the development of bilateral ties.

In this regard, the two sides need to cooperate closely to make preparations for Trump's state visit to China this year, he added.

Noting that China and the US have established four high-level dialogue mechanisms, Wang said that the two sides should move forward to reach more consensus and manage differences well so as to ensure the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties.

For his part, Tillerson expressed gratitude to Wang for attending the ministerial meeting in New York.

Tillerson said that the US spoke highly of the important meeting between the presidents of the two countries at Mar-a-Lago, which has guaranteed the smooth transition of US-China relations and enhanced mutual trust.

The two sides agreed that in face of the escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary and timely to convene such a meeting on this matter at the Security Council.