China, US should have 'objective' understanding of strategic intention - Chinese foreign ministry

BEIJING (Reuters) - China and the United States should have an objective understanding of each other's strategic intention and take the correct view of competitive factors in future exchanges, China's foreign ministry said on Monday.

Wang Wenbin, a ministry spokesperson, was speaking at a regular press briefing when asked about China's top diplomat Wang Yi saying the road to a meeting between the countries' leaders in San Francisco would not be smooth.

China's foreign minister met U.S. President Joe Biden and his top aides in Washington in recent days, agreeing to work together toward the expected bilateral meeting on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit.

"Wang Yi pointed out that looking back on the tortuous course of Sino-U.S. relations since beginning of this year, the experience is worth summarising and the lessons need to be learned," ministry spokesperson Wang said.

In highlighting the talks, the ministry spokesperson said China's top diplomat stressed that the most important thing is to abide by the consensus of the two heads of state, to stabilise bilateral relations between China and the United States, and to maintain open channels of communication.

China and the United States have also agreed to hold consultations on maritime affairs as well as arms control and non-proliferation in the coming days, the spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Liz Lee; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Christopher Cushing)