US Vice President Joe Biden (L) puts his hand on his chest for the US national anthem with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing August 18, 2011.  [Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING - Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden held talks Thursday morning in Beijing, with both delivering messages of cooperation.

"Under the new circumstances, China and the United States share even broader common interests and co-shoulder more common responsibilities. Enhancing China-US relationship fits not only the interests of the two nations, but also that of the world," Xi said in the opening remarks.

Xi characterized Biden's six-day visit to China as a big event in this year's China-US relations, saying the visit will boost bilateral cooperative partnership.

Biden started by recalling his two previous visits to China back to 1979 and 2001, highlighted his meeting with late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

Biden was among the first US senators to travel to Beijing after China and the United States forged diplomatic ties in January 1979.

"I come with a strong message that the United States of America is planning on and will continue to be engaged totally in the world," Biden said, referring to his first visit to China as US vice-President.

"Maybe even a stronger message is that our commitment to establish a close and serious relationship with the People's Republic of China," Biden said.

Biden said he is looking forward to Xi's reciprocal visit to Washington.

Before the talks, Xi hosted a red-carpet welcome ceremony for Biden at the Great Hall of the People.

The talks marked the second interaction between Xi and Biden as they met on the sidelines of the celebrations of Italy's 150th anniversary of unification in Rome in June.