(Xinhua) 20:42, December 02, 2016

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Dec 2. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in Beijing Friday, saying China will work closely with the United States at a new starting point to maintain the smooth transition of ties and stable growth.

"The development of China-U.S. ties since the forging of diplomatic ties has proven our common interests far outweigh differences," Xi said.

Xi stressed that China and the United States should have a correct understanding of each other's strategic intention, abandon the zero-sum mentality, stick to non-confrontation, respect each other and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation, to boost the building of a new type of major country relationship between China and the United States.

Kissinger told Xi that he believes it is the expectation of the U.S. new administration to facilitate sustained, stable and better growth of U.S.-China relations.

As a trailblazer for China-U.S. ties, the 93-year-old strategist paid a secret visit to China in 1971, which broke the ice and paved way for the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic ties in 1979.