China reiterated its solemn stance on the Diaoyu Islands, as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns visited China on Wednesday.

According to a press release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Burns and Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun held talks with the U.S. visitor on Wednesday.

During the meetings, the Chinese side said that maintaining stable development of Sino-U.S. ties is in the two sides' common interests, and they should seriously implement the consensus reached by the two leaderships to expand talks, mutual trust and cooperation, said the press release.

The Chinese officials also called for each country to respect the other's core interests and grave concerns, as well as properly handle sensitive issues, saying Sino-U.S. ties should always be kept on a positive and correct track of development.

Burns said the Obama government highly values the development of bilateral ties, and will work with China to build a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit, shape a new type of relationship between major powers, and push forward bilateral relations, according to the press release.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues including the Middle East.?