China looks to maintain Sino-US relationship: Foreign Ministry

China is willing to work with America's president-elect and new administration to manage disputes, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday.

The Sino-US relationship is not only related to the benefits of the two nations, but also to the peace and prosperity of the world, Geng said at a regular news conference.

The two countries should uphold the principle of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual trust and cooperation for win-win results, he added.

His comment is in response to an exit memo made on Thursday by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who said the US-China relationship is "the most consequential of our bilateral relationships in the world today".

"We have built on the positive and productive relationship that President Obama established with President Xi to expand cooperation on a range of global challenges such as clean energy and health, including paradigm-shifting cooperation in reducing the threat of climate change," he said.

Mentioning that disagreements remain in areas including cyber security and maritime disputes, Kerry noted that China and the US have worked together to increase stability in states like Afghanistan, confront global health epidemics and address development challenges.

The one-China policy is the common stance upheld by both Democrats and Republicans, Kerry told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday in a phone call initiated by him.

The one-China policy is based on the three joint communiqués between the US and China, Kerry said. The communiqués, issued in 1970s and 1980s, laid the foundation for the restoration of China-US diplomatic relationship.