BEIJING: Chinese state media on Wednesday welcomed news of the first summit between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Barack Obama, saying the meeting will help “reduce suspicions” in the relationship.

The talks, the first since Xi was installed as Chinese leader and Obama began his second term, will be held in California on June 7 and 8, with ties strained by allegations of cyber spying, tensions in the Pacific and trade disputes.

“It’s vital for us to establish confidence that the two countries are partners instead of rivals,” the Global Times newspaper said in an editorial following official announcements Tuesday that Xi would visit the US.

“If both sides still attach importance to mutual trust then a strong positive signal is urgently needed to reduce suspicions,” the paper added, under the headline “Xi, Obama meeting coming at right time.”

The editorial did not go into detail on specific issues of conflict between the world’s top two economies, but acknowledged that “as two big countries with their own interests, problems certainly exist between China and the US.”

AFP