President Xi meets with mayor of Los Angeles

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the mayor of Los Angeles on Tuesday in Beijing, and the two sides agreed to strengthen local-level exchanges and people-to-people contact.

During the meeting with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Xi said the two sides need to work from the top level as well as from grassroots level and up to push forward the development of China-US relations. He said the roots of China-US relations are deep in the local, non-governmental and grassroots sectors.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles of the United States during a meeting on Tuesday in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

"The growth of China-US relations is inseparable from exchanges and cooperation at local levels, and even so with universal participation and the active support of the people of the two countries," Xi said.

He said the two sides should start from the local, non-governmental and grassroots levels, take advantage of their specific and mutually complementary characteristics and consolidate the social foundation of China-US relations through substantial cooperation.

Xi emphasized that the two sides need to work from the top through lower levels and enhance the structural design for advancing bilateral links.

Xi said he will meet with US President Barack Obama in early June to plan for the future development of China-US relations.

The Chinese president said that at present, China-US relations are at a crucial stage of opening up to the future. He said in March, he and President Obama had a telephone conversation and reaffirmed their common will to work for the development of the China-US cooperative partnership and actively build a new type of relationship between major powers.

Villaraigosa said it is an honor that the China-U.S summit will be held in Los Angeles. He expressed his belief that the summit will be critical for enhancing mutual trust and advancing US-China relations.

He said the two countries should respect each other, seek common ground while maintaining differences, strengthen cooperation and realize common development and prosperity.

The mayor of Los Angeles said the two sides should strengthen cultural, people-to-people, economic and local exchanges and advance bilateral relations from the grassroots level.

Xi said during his visit to Los Angeles last year, he was deeply impressed with the warm welcome he received from the local people.

He expressed his appreciation to Villaraigosa for his active role in promoting local-level exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

As the second largest city in the United States, Los Angeles has been a leading city and enjoys great potential in carrying out cooperation with China, the Chinese president said.

He also expressed his hope that Los Angeles would continue to advance its cooperation with China by utilizing its own advantages and become an angel city for friendly cooperation between China and the US

Villaraigosa recalled Xi's visit to Los Angeles, saying the visit left a good impression on the people of Los Angeles and helped deepen the American people's understanding of China.

The mayor said China's growth has brought about major opportunities for Los Angeles, and the city is ready to serve as a bridge of US-China cooperation.