High hopes voiced for Xi's trip to US

US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping rest during a tour at the Annenberg Retreat, California, June 8, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

Ambassador says president's visit will produce fruitful results

President Xi Jinping's state visit to the US later this month will produce fruitful results, according to China's Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai.

Cui told reporters that preparations for the visit are moving ahead quickly.

He was speaking after a concert in Maryland on Saturday to mark the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).

He did not reveal what the fruitful outcomes of Xi's visit would be, but said they would be "a pleasant surprise when made public".

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice visited China a week ago to prepare for the visit, and US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel is visiting Beijing from Sunday to Tuesday to discuss a host of issues relating to the president's trip.

Asked if there would be a change in the timetable for Xi's visit if Washington in coming weeks announces economic sanctions against Chinese companies and individuals allegedly involved in cyberthefts, as reported by The Washington Post, Cui said he hoped nobody would "do anything so non-constructive".

The ambassador said he believed that the vast common interests between the two countries mean that both need to make Xi's visit a success.

He said both nations are facing the challenge of cyberattacks, and China, as a developing country, is "much more a victim" of such attacks.

"This means that China and the US have every reason to conduct more communications and cooperation in this regard, instead of moving toward conflict and confrontation," he said. "I hope the US will make a smart choice."

He said the two countries have been communicating on various bilateral, regional and global issues, but different national conditions mean there will be differences and disagreements.

He described this as normal for both nations, but said it also means that when old problems are solved, new ones might emerge.