WASHINGTON — President Xi Jinping’s special envoy and Vice-Premier Liu He met with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and some key US lawmakers to discuss China-US ties on May 16.

Liu arrived in Washington on May 15 for economic and trade consultations with the US side at the invitation of the US government.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-US comprehensive economic dialogue, leads a delegation whose members come from major economic sectors of the Chinese government.

Among the US lawmakers Liu met with were Orrin Hatch, president pro tempore of the Senate and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

In his meeting with Kissinger, Liu congratulated the veteran diplomat on his upcoming 95th birthday, and hailed his longtime commitment to China-US friendship.

Guided by Xi and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, China-US ties have achieved important and positive progress, Liu said.

He noted that his ongoing US visit aims to, according to the consensus of the two presidents, continue in-depth communication with the US side on bilateral economic and trade issues.

The senior Chinese official noted that he will actively explore a proper settlement of the trade issues so as to secure a healthy development of the economic and trade ties between Beijing and Washington.

Kissinger said the handling of the US-China relationship demands strategic perspective and foresight as it concerns global peace and prosperity, and is of utmost importance.

He also said that the two nations need to enhance their strategic communication, expand common interests, properly manage and control differences, and exert leadership on major international and regional issues.

In his meeting with key lawmakers of both houses of the US Congress, Liu said the two nations’ commitment to a long-standing, healthy and stable bilateral relationship is in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the shared expectations of the international community.

The two nations’ shared interests far outweigh their differences, said Liu, adding that both countries will win if they work together, and lose if they are pitted against each other.

He added that China-US economic and trade ties are mutually beneficial in nature, thus the two sides need to view their trade issues in a comprehensive and objective manner, and properly deal with related problems based on mutual respect, equality and the win-win approach.

China attaches great importance to the role of the US Congress, and is ready to strengthen exchanges with the US legislature, Liu said.

The US lawmakers said that the United States is willing to maintain friendly relations with China and that the two nations should not fight a trade war despite having differences on some economic and trade issues.

They hoped that both sides can actively seek solutions that fit the interests of the two nations through consultations.