China and the United States should have a non-exclusive and mutually supportive relationship around the world, Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state, said at the Second Global Think Tank Summit in Beijing on June 27.

"I'm optimistic about Sino-US relations, and confident that we will overcome difficulties and build up a structure of friendly cooperation," he said.

The Sino-US relationship has now become "a key element for the peace and prosperity of the world", Kissinger said.

He added that China and the US should seek to shape a new world.

Commenting on the current complicated international situation, Kissinger said that China and the US are not competing to dominate the world.

"Such competition is meaningless," he said, adding that on the basis of a strong strategic partnership, China and the US can have friendship with each other.

The 88-year-old has contributed greatly to communication and mutual understanding between China and the US for decades, traveling across the Pacific more than 70 times over the past 40 years.

Kissinger said that when he first came to China, he knew little about the country, but now he admires the Chinese people and Chinese history.